|
Multiple exterior doors of the Miller-Claytor House
in Lynchburg suggest that the house also contained a commercial space
Photo courtesy of Virginia
Department of Historic Resources |
Most Virginia Main Street communities trace their beginnings to the mid-18th
to early 19th centuries, when the line between commercial and domestic
architecture was often blurred. This was especially true for taverns or
ordinaries, which frequently occupied former residences. In fact,
many tavern keepers simply rented houses in order to conduct their business.
These ordinaries were some of the first businesses in many of the Main
Street communities, especially those that served as county seats, river
ports or ferry crossings.
Many of the original commercial buildings were constructed of frame,
as this was the quickest and least expensive construction method. A number
of early Virginia towns gave deadlines by which structures had to be built
on newly laid-off lots, thus leading to dense development of highly flammable
buildings. Ordinances then had to be passed regulating the style of chimneys,
and the composition of roofing material (slate, for example, was generally
more fire resistant than wood shingles). Not surprisingly, fire was of
great concern in early Virginia towns, and it did occasionally take its
toll on the picturesque 18th-century frame buildings that remained in
some towns, including
After a destructive fire in the 1790s,
brick Federal style commercial buildings
became popular in Lexington
Photo courtesy of Virginia
Main Street Program
|
|
Lexington's wildly destructive fire in the late 1790s.
Buildings that developed during this time (1780s to 1820s) are generally
referred to as being of the Federal, or Adamesque style, and display
well proportioned, restrained, symmetrical facades and double-hung windows
containing combinations of six-pane and nine-pane sashes. The relatively
spartan exterior of these buildings was contrasted by the lively paint and
wallpaper schemes used in the interior. Interior and exterior woodwork generally
used Roman forms, as opposed to those that used Greek styles in the next
major architectural period in the Commonwealth.
|
Greek Revival commercial buildings in Orange
Photo courtesy of Virginia
Main Street Program |
As the Virginia Main Street communities developed, there was a movement to begin
building out of brick. Masonry structures were obviously more fire-resistant,
and they also conveyed the impression of permanence
and success. The core commercial district of a town quickly became the place
to showcase new architecture, and the Greek Revival style of the 1820s to
1850s, which is often considered to be the first truly American style, can
be seen in stores, warehouses, mills, offices, courthouses and churches
throughout the Main Street communities. A Greek Revival building can often
be identified by its heavy stone lintels over windows and doors and porticos
with pediments supported by various orders of columns. Most of
these buildings used double-hung (or sometimes triple) windows, usually
with six panes of glass, or lights, per sash.
After the Civil War, the Italianate style began to take prominence in Virginia
towns and influenced commercial architecture through the turn of the century.
Commercial buildings in this style often carry much more subtle details
than their residential counterparts. Early Italianate buildings featured
widely overhanging eaves, bracketed cornices and sometimes towers or cupolas.
An excellent example of this is the Orange County Courthouse,
located in the town of Orange. Later in the 19th century,
this style evolved into a form common in dense commercial business districts,
and shapes the overall look and feel of what today's travelers see when
they visit Virginia's 17 designated Main Street Communities. These buildings,
which often connect to one another, feature double-hung windows with two
panes per sash, a storefront with display windows and an entry door (often
in one unit) on the first floor and sets of three windows (or bays) on each
upper floor. The cornice is generally constructed of wood and exhibits ornate
brackets. Another common cornice detail consists of corbelled bricks, which
are sometimes formed into triangular patterns.
|
Early 20th-century commercial buildings of Franklin
Photo courtesy of Virginia
Main Street Program |
Later additions to Virginia's commercial architecture include the Art Deco
style, which was popular from the 1920s to 1940s, especially on government
edifices, banks and theaters, and various "modern" styles that can be seen
on banks and office buildings from the 1950s to 1970s. These buildings of
the recent past, like their more "quaint" predecessors, are a sign of their
times, and are joining the ranks of historically significant buildings in
Virginia's commercial districts.
|