Melrose spotlight: the Gothic Revival building style

For a century, Classical ideals dominated Melrose architecture. Starting in the 1840s, the whimsy, emotion, and subjectivity of Romanticism broke that mold, and gave us the eclectic architectural styles of the Victorian era.

There was no more explicit rejection of Classicism than the Gothic Revival. Gothic Revival architecture began in Europe, but it took on a unique form in America in the house style sometimes called Carpenter Gothic. Taking the intricate stonework of European cathedrals as their models, housebuilders translated them into carved wood, a material that was ever cheap and plentiful in America. Now Melrosians could enjoy the sophistication and beauty of old Europe in their own home.

While there were a number of patterns for these homes, in Melrose one form predominated, a center entrance model with three prominent dormers. The most well-preserved example is 49 Lake Avenue, which retains its original vergeboards and finials. Note the steep pitch of the dormers and the delicate Gothic tracery under the eaves. The center Gothic window is likewise a rare survival, as in most cases changing tastes and cheaper costs have caused homeowners to replace them with square sash windows.

 The brick walls of the house are definitely not in keeping with the Carpenter Gothic aesthetic, and are in fact a later addition; originally the house was sheathed in board and batten, which would have contributed to a sense of verticality. Altogether, the house is designed to give the feeling of entering a medieval chapel, suggesting that the owner is a person of great moral rectitude.

Other examples of Gothic Revival homes in Melrose include 17 Youle Street, 75 Vinton Street, and 36 North Cedar Park, which, like 49 Lake, are all within five minutes’ walk of the Melrose Depot. By the time the Civil War ended, tastes had changed and Gothic Revival was out of vogue, so it is no surprise that our surviving examples of the style are all from the first wave of suburbanization in Melrose. While Carpenter Gothic was a short-lived movement in Melrose, the values behind its expression were adapted to other styles, as we shall see in later installments of this series.