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With the arrival of the railway in 1880, the material culture of
Eastern North America was introduced to the Southwest in the form of a
new set of architectural elements. These elements came to be known
as Territorial (classical revival) style. The regional and vernacular
elements of Santa Fe style were embellished with classical revival architectural
forms in millwork which was added to or incorporated in the design of
community structures. There was little cultural lag in adoption
of the Greek Revival and Queen Anne architectural details: gable roofs
(facilitated by the introduction of tin sheeting), dentated trim, white
millwork, pedimented doors and windows, double-hung paned windows, Victorian
gingerbread, pilasters, decorative brackets, and plate glass. This window,
associated with English Georgian style (popular in Eastern North America
until the middle of the nineteenth century), is derived from classical
(Greek Revival) forms. The semicircular headed window was inserted
into the five and a half foot thick walls of the church as a decorative
accent to the irregular walls, rounded buttresses, and vigas derived
from the pueblos and Spanish missions. This Territorial style window
adds a playful sophistication to the already striking form of the church.
It is suggested that the adaptability of the Territorial style reinforced
the regional supremacy of Santa Fe style and contributed to its spread
beyond the Upper Rio Grande region and into the non-Hispanic North American
West.
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