Fort Dodge Messenger, IA
05-22-07
FD architectural styles presented
Speaker: Few buildings ‘pure’ in style
By JESSE HELLING, Messenger staff writer
Architecture, at both the residential and commercial level, can be categorized as
part of a particular style.
However, very few structures are “pure” representations of a particular style,
according to Alexa McDowell, an architectural historian from Iowa State
University.
On Monday, McDowell presented “Architectural Styles of Fort Dodge Homes,” a
program sponsored by the Fort Dodge Historical Preservation Commission.
Approximately 20 people gathered at the Vincent House to hear McDowell’s
lecture, part of the commission’s observance of national Historical Preservation
Month.
McDowell offered audience members guidelines to identify the style of a
structure, pointing out several examples of particular design styles in Fort Dodge.
For example, the Vincent House is an example of the Second Empire style, with
characteristic roof and windows, according to McDowell.
Being a pure example makes the Vincent House a rarity, she said.
“Most residences are cumulative in terms of influence,” said McDowell.
A house could feature the simple symmetry of the colonial style but be
embellished with the timbering characteristic of the Tudor style, based on the
foibles of the architect who designed the structure or the people they designed it
for, she said.
Since the era of ancient Greece — or earlier — architecture has seen redesign
and refinement, McDowell said.
Even the Parthenon, viewed by many as the pinnacle of ancient Greek
architecture, was itself a refinement of prior structures, she said.
“The thing I always keep in mind is that we’re always reacting to what came
before us,” she said. “There are very few original thoughts in the world of
architecture.”
Particular styles that may have fallen out of favor see revivals — and, in many
cases, revivals of revivals, McDowell said.
The Masonic Temple in Fort Dodge, built in 1916, is an example of a neoclassical building.
Though emulating the classical style, the building incorporates modern materials
in its terra cotta frontispiece, she said.
Another point to keep in mind is that a structure’s location can influence its style,
as many architectural styles saw regional variation, she said.
“What materials were available can make a big difference,” McDowell said.
Most areas of the United States, McDowell said, developed a viable brick-making
industry, which accounts for the large number of brick structures among historic
homes.
Fort Dodge contains representative samples of several styles of architecture,
including some that are rare in the region.
Art deco, an architectural design popular from 1920 to 1940, made few inroads in
the Midwest.
But the front of the former Corpus Christi School contains elements of the style,
McDowell said.
Among the rarer finds standing in Fort Dodge are several “Lustron Houses.”
Only about 2,500 such houses, which are constructed of enameled steel inside
and out, were built in the United States.
A photographic exhibit of Fort Dodge architecture through the years will be on
display in the Fort Dodge Public Library through the end of May for those seeking
more information.
Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net