Carpenter Gothic in the context of Springside (Matthew Vassar Estate)


Carpenter Gothic in the context of Springside (Matthew Vassar Estate)

⭐ Core Definition: Carpenter Gothic

Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic or Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters. The abundance of North American timber and the carpenter-built vernacular architectures based upon it made a picturesque improvisation upon Gothic a natural evolution. Carpenter Gothic improvises upon features that were carved in stone in authentic Gothic architecture, whether original or in more scholarly revival styles; however, in the absence of the restraining influence of genuine Gothic structures, the style was freed to improvise and emphasize charm and quaintness rather than fidelity to received models. The genre received its impetus from the publication by Alexander Jackson Davis of Rural Residences and from detailed plans and elevations in publications by Andrew Jackson Downing.

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Carpenter Gothic in the context of American Gothic

American Gothic is a 1930 oil painting on beaverboard by the American Regionalist artist Grant Wood, depicting a Midwestern farmer and his wife or daughter standing in front of their Carpenter Gothic style home. It is one of the most famous American paintings of the 20th century and is frequently referenced in popular culture.

Wood was inspired to paint what is now known as the American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa, along with "the kind of people [he] fancied should live in that house".

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Carpenter Gothic in the context of St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Woodlawn, Maryland)

St. Mary's Episcopal Church, also known as the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, is an historic rectangular-shaped Carpenter Gothic style Episcopal church located at 5610 Dogwood Road in Woodlawn, Baltimore County, Maryland. Designed by the Baltimore architectural firm of Dixon and Carson, it was built in 1873. Its steeply pitched gable roof, board and batten siding, lancet windows and arched side entry way are all typical features of Carpenter Gothic churches.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

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Carpenter Gothic in the context of American Gothic House

The American Gothic House, also known as the Dibble House, is a house in Eldon, Iowa, designed in the Carpenter Gothic style with a distinctive upper window. It was the backdrop of the 1930 painting American Gothic by Grant Wood, generally considered Wood's most famous work and among the most recognized paintings in twentieth century American art. Wood, who observed the house only twice in his lifetime, made only an initial sketch of the house—he completed American Gothic at his studio in Cedar Rapids.

First owned by Eldon resident Charles Dibble after its construction in 1881 and 1882, the home was (with one 1897 exception) a private residence until the late twentieth century. After a thirty-year preservation effort culminated with the donation of the house in 1991 to the State Historical Society of Iowa, the site now includes the original house in its 1930 form and a visitors center. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Since 1991, various caretaker-occupants have continued to rent the home privately.

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Carpenter Gothic in the context of Eldon, Iowa

Eldon is a city in Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 783 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the home of the small Carpenter Gothic style house that served as the backdrop for Grant Wood's 1930 painting, American Gothic.

Eldon got its start in the year 1870, following construction of the Keokuk and Des Moines Railway through the territory. It was incorporated in 1872.

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