Architectural spotlight: Greek Revival

Greek Revival architecture dramatically shaped the American landscape in the mid-1800s. In this post, we’ll explore the style’s origins and defining features, as well as highlight some notable Indiana examples.

Popular between 1830 and 1860, Greek Revival became known as the “National Style” due to its widespread adoption across the country. Inspired by the architecture of ancient Greece, the style reflected democratic ideals that resonated strongly with Americans in the post-revolutionary period. This association became especially meaningful after the War of 1812, as Americans sought to distance themselves from British influence and turned away from Georgian and Federal styles, both closely tied to Britain.

The Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) further fueled interest in the style. Having recently secured their own independence, Americans sympathized with Greece’s struggle for self-determination as it fought to break free from Ottoman rule. The war heightened American admiration for Greek culture and deepened appreciation for its architectural legacy. Many Americans saw ancient Greece as the birthplace of democracy and sought to align themselves with its ideals. One way they expressed this connection was through architecture, modeling their built environment after the classical forms of ancient Greece.

Key characteristics of Greek Revival architecture

Several key features define the Greek Revival style. Columns and pilasters, heavy trim bands at the cornices, wide friezes, pediments, and symmetrical façades are almost always present, all evoking the temples of ancient Greece. Buildings in the Greek Revival style were often painted white or light stone colors to mimic the appearance of marble.

Entryways are often a focal point, with transoms and sidelights flanking front doors. Windows are typically evenly spaced and rectangular, and rooflines tend to be low-pitched or gabled. These stylistic details conveyed a sense of order, permanence, and cultural sophistication—even when built with local materials like wood and brick.

Greek Revival in Indiana

While Greek Revival flourished in coastal cities like Philadelphia, Boston, and New York, it spread quickly to the Midwest as settlers moved westward. In states like Indiana, it became a go-to style for both public buildings and private homes. Courthouses, schools, churches, and farmhouses alike adopted Greek Revival elements, adapting the aesthetic to local resources and construction methods.

Here, the style often took simpler forms. In rural areas especially, wood-frame houses with clapboard siding, pilasters, and wide frieze boards became common. The result was a uniquely American expression of classical architecture—one that blended ideals of democracy with frontier practicality.

Examples

Below are a few examples of the Greek Revival Style applied to houses, churches, schools, and government buildings in Indiana.

Danville Presbyterian Church, 1904. Photograph taken from Hendricks County Industrial Souvenir.

The former Danville Presbyterian Church is a classic reflection of the style applied to a church building. Note the varying ways a pediment is either alluded to or outright created in the door and window surrounds, as well as the larger corner pilasters placed underneath the large front gable of the building. The building still stands today, though it has been altered to the point its Greek Revival features are no longer apparent.

Joseph B. Homan Home, photo by Belloni Research Consulting

The beautifully preserved Homan House in Danville is a textbook example of the Greek Revival style applied to a private residence. With its white-painted brick, front-facing gable with full pediment, and symmetrical facade, the home brings a hint of the grandeur of ancient Greece to the small Indiana town. The columned cement porch, parts of which are likely an early 20th-century addition, stay in line with the style.

Belleville Academy, c. 1870. Photograph courtesy of the Courtesy of the Guilford Township Historical Collection; Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library.

The Belleville Academy, which once stood on the south side of the National Road in Hendricks County, was the epitome of the Greek Revival style applied to a school building. The eared architrave molding, transom windows, and side lights present on both entrances are key characteristics of the style. Although built of unpainted brick, its front-gabled form with brick pilasters and heavy trim along the cornice clearly evoked the classical temple forms that defined Greek Revival architecture. Built in 1853, it was replaced in 1889 by an Italianate structure.

Second Indiana Statehouse, c. 1860. Photograph courtesy of the Harrison County Public Library/Frederick Porter Griffin Center.

Built in 1835, Indiana’s second statehouse stands as perhaps the most striking example of Greek Revival architecture in the state’s history—a bold and ambitious effort to evoke the grandeur of classical antiquity. Its colonnaded façade, complete with a full-height portico and a triangular pediment, was directly inspired by the Parthenon of ancient Athens. Rows of fluted Doric columns surrounded the structure on all sides, giving it the commanding presence of a Greek temple planted in the heart of the American Midwest.

What made the building especially unusual—and controversial—was the decision to place a Renaissance-style dome atop its classically inspired form. While domes were associated with civic grandeur and were becoming popular in American public architecture, their pairing with strict Greek Revival lines was jarring to many at the time. The second statehouse only stood for 42 years. After gradually becoming riddled with structural issues and suffering a roof collapse in the early 1870s, it was demolished in 1877.

Decline of the style

By the 1860s, Greek Revival began to fall out of favor, gradually replaced by more decorative styles like the Italianate. These newer styles allowed for greater ornamentation and variation, reflecting changing tastes as the country moved deeper into the Victorian era. Even so, Greek Revival left a lasting architectural legacy—particularly in places like Indiana, where its clean lines and classical proportions suited both town and countryside.