Gothic architecture was popular in Europe during the Middle Ages-specifically between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. It is best known for its use in churches and cathedrals. Prominent features of Gothic-style buildings included flying buttresses and pointed arches.
By the middle of the eighteenth century, a revival of the Gothic architectural style began in England. Roughly one century later, the style had spread to the United States, where it became quite popular in housing construction. Like its medieval counterpart, Gothic Revival architecture was common in the construction of religious buildings, as well.
There are many distinguishable features of Gothic Revival-style architecture. A number of different types of windows can be found on Gothic Revival-style buildings. These include latticed windows, oriel windows, tall and narrow windows, and windows with labels around them. Angled pavilions, angular chimneys, steeply-pitched roofs, and transoms are also characteristic of Gothic Revival-style architecture. Many buildings also have decorative Gothic features, such as bargeboards, carved trefoils, crenelations, and finials.
Houses built in the Gothic Revival style can be found in many of Staten Island's neighborhoods. Some well-known Gothic Revival-style buildings are the Alice Austen House in Rosebank, the Parsonage and Edwards-Barton House in Richmondtown, the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum and St. John's Episcopal Church in Rosebank, and the Zion Lutheran Church in Port Richmond. There are also a couple of Gothic Revival-style houses in the St. George and Stapleton Historic Districts which, like many others in the borough, have been designated as landmarks.
Posted by Anthony Licciardello on
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