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Gothic Revival: Alexander Jackson Davis, And The Rose Hill Plantation House

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Architecture has always been an integral part of society and its culture. It not only defines the space of the community that it participates in but it also shapes the community’s place in history. During the 19th century, Gothic Revival became a rapidly growing architectural movement. The Gothic Revival styles sought to revive medieval Gothic architecture, in contrast to the neoclassical styles prevalent at the time. A new group of architects began popularizing picturesque styles and started taking inspiration from nature. A style was built more honestly using natures own colors and materials, blending the architecture harmoniously into its surrounding. The Lyndhurst Mansion designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis (1803-1892) and The Rose Hill Plantation House built in 1860 by Edward Brickell White (1806-1882) are two examples that embody the picturesque Gothic Revival. Alexander Jackson Davis was one of America’s leading figure in American architecture. Davis designed state capitals, colleges, several hospitals, a prison, and a number of houses which ranged from humble gatekeeper’s lodges to elaborate country villas (“Donoghue, John Cornelius.”) He introduced and developed new ideas and forms and was inspired by many styles from the past, including ancient Egypt, classical forms of Greece, and picturesque medieval England. In the 1830’s, Davis became best known for his work in the picturesque style, relating the houses to their landscape settings and opening up the

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