Art Talk: Smithsonian Castle and Gothic Revival Architecture

For this Art Talk post we are going to stay in Washington, DC and move to the national mall and the iconic Smithsonian Castle and Gothic Revival architecture.

In my last post Art Talk: Architecture of the US Capitol I talked about how the Capitol was started in 1793 and is great example of neoclassical architecture. I also pointed out that there are many other neoclassical buildings in DC such as The White House (1792), the US Supreme Court (1835), the Lincoln Memorial (1922), the United States Archives (1934), the National Gallery of Art (1937), and the Jefferson Memorial (1943).

Lest you think that all the buildings in DC are Neoclassical, I want to show you the Smithsonian Castle and it's Gothic Revival architecture.

From the Smithsonian Institution Archives we learn:

The Smithsonian Institution Building, popularly known as the "Castle" was designed by architect James Renwick, Jr. The building is constructed of red sandstone from Seneca Creek, Maryland, in the Norman style (a 12th- century combination of late Romanesque and early Gothic motifs). When it was completed in 1855, it sat on an isolated piece of land cut off from downtown Washington, DC, by a canal. In the ensuing decades, the Castle became the anchor of the National Mall, as additional museums and government buildings were constructed around it. 1

Map of The National Mall

To help put things into perspective here is a map of the National Mall.
#1, on the right, is the US Capitol and #28, towards the middle, is the Smithsonian Castle and #35, at the far left, is the Lincoln Memorial.

In the book Disturbing Times and the Chapter: Confederate Gothic Joshua Davies informs us: 2

One of the first examples of domestic Gothic architecture in America; the Smithsonian Institution building (1855), the first large-scale public building built in the Gothic style.

Understanding Gothic Revival Architecture

To help us understand Gothic Revival Architecture we need to understand a few other architectural terms.

Joshua Davies continues:

My use of the term “Gothic” is deliberately broad. Among the buildings I discuss in this chapter, for instance, the Smithsonian was described as “Norman” but might be more accurately termed “Romanesque.” The question of classification and terminology are very complex. I have used “Gothic” as a means of emphasizing the shared medieval origins of the architectural forms, in keeping with much of the scholarly and popular literature on these buildings.

The author is using Gothic as an umbrella term. I would like to go over some of the other terms to help us understand Gothic Revival Architecture.

Gothic Architecture 3

When: Mid 12th to 16th Centuries
What: Flying buttresses, pointed arch, stained glass, etc..
Why: Engineering finally permitted tall buildings
Where: Europe

Norman Architecture 4

When: 11th and 12th Centuries
What: Round arches, basilica plan, windows, towers and spires
Why: shortly before the Norman Conquest of England (1066) Normandy become settled and sophisticated enough to produce an architecture style
Where: Normandy, France and England

Romanesque Architecture 5

When: Mid 11th-Mid 12th century
What: A fusion of Roman, Carolingian and Ottonian, Byzantine, and local Germanic traditions that had semicircular arches, vaults, naves, massive walls with few windows and towers
Why: larger churches were needed to accommodate the numerous monks and priests, as well as the pilgrims who came to view saints’ relics.
Where: Europe

Gothic Revival Architecture 6 and 7

When: 19th and into the 20th century
England- Private as early as 1765, Public started 1820s
United States- Private started in 1840s, Public started in the 1850s
What: Arched windows, steeply pitched roofs, ornamental tracery, rich color, vertical emphasis
Why: A Romantic revolution was happening, a religious and moral impetus and the writings of Ruskin who romanticized the medieval times.
Where: England and United States

Gothic Revival Architecture and the Smithsonian Castle

Let's take a look at the Smithsonian Castle and it's Gothic Revival architecture characteristics.

Time period. It was built in 1855, right in the middle of the 19th century which is when Gothic Revival Architecture was popular in the United States.

It was built amidst many neoclassical buildings in DC. Neoclassical architecture was happening in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Buildings in DC near the Smithsonian Castle

Rich Color In looking at the pictures above you can see that the Castle with it's rich red brick is quite a contrast to the light colored Neoclassical buildings surrounding it.

Revival Like Neoclassical which was reviving the Greek and Roman ideals. Gothic Revival is bringing back ideas like conservativism and monarchy. 8 Which I find ironic as the United States fought to leave the monarchy of Britain only 79 years earlier.

Arched Windows

Here you can see an example of the arched windows on the Smithsonian Castle that go from the ground level to the top of the tower.

Ornamental Tracery
What is tracery you ask?
Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone bars or ribs of moulding. 9

Here are some examples of ornamental tracery on the Smithsonian Castle

Vertical Emphasis

In this picture you can see how tall the tower is in comparison to the people walking in front of the castle. North Tower is 145 feet high.

Hope you enjoyed this look at the Gothic Revival Architecture that was happening in America and DC in the mid 1850s that inspired this beautiful medieval castle.