Splinters and Ghosts: A Rejection of Second Empire Architecture

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Defined by their distinctive mansard roofs, buildings crafted in the Second Empire architectural style are easily identified. Considered fashionable in the United States for a very short period of time 1865 to 1890 the style became associated with themes of decay and ghostly encounters. This brief examines the history of Second Empire architecture in America and how geo-political events, nationalistic trends, and cultural phenomena led to its unique association with danger, oppression, and death. Key concepts discussed in this brief include Second Empire architecture, European architectural influences, American civic architecture, American residential architecture, the impact of cultural shifts on the built environment, Alfred B. Mullett, endangered architectural styles, and architecture as a symbol of wealth and status.