Lesson 11
Neo-Classicism and Refinement
After
the Revolutionary War, architecture reflected the new energy spawned
by enthusiasm for a new republic. The sense of democracy was strong,
and the ideals of the classical cultures of Greece and Rome, which
epitomized this form of governance, found their way into the architecture
and decorative arts in this country. After 1790, the revived economy
enabled Deerfield residents to refurbish their homes or build new
ones in this new neo-classical (federal) style. Residents began
to beautify their town, planting elm trees along the Deerfield Street
and adding landscape details to the fronts of their houses. Each
improvement demonstrated the desire of the community to project
the image of refinement.
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