The Greco-Roman architectural tradition in selected Indiana sites : the Orange County Courthouse, the Second Presbyterian Church, Madison, the Michael G. Bright Office, the Charles L. Shrewsbury Home, the Dr. Jefferson Helm, Sr., Home

The major purposes of this study were: (1) to outline the predominant Greek and Roman architectural examples most often imitated by subsequent architects and builders, (2) to compare five Indiana Greek Revival examples of the mid-nineteenth century with the works of Benjamin Latrobe, Robert Mills, and William Strickland, and (3) to examine the lifestyles of three Hoosier men who were involved in creating and promoting the Greek Revival style in Indiana.After an introduction, Chapter II presented a brief history of the foundations of Greek and Roman architecture with a pictorial account of the major ancient structures frequently copied by New World architect-builders. Chapter III examined the three Eastern architects and their public and private buildings in picture form. Chapter IV compared the Hoosier vernacular with the three Eastern architects. Among the factors considered were the simplicity and complexity of design, similarities and dissimilarities in building materials, and technical skill of the architect-builder. Chapter V investigated the political and financial career of Michael G. Bright who worked in a Greek Revival law office in Madison, Indiana. Chapter VI focused upon Charles L. Shrewsbury, a Hoosier entrepeneur who built an elaborate Greek Revival home in Madison. Dr. Jefferson Helm, Sr., of Rushville, Indiana was the subject of Chapter VII. The final chapter was a summary of the study and a statement of several conclusions which emerged from the research.The Hoosier Greek Revival style was simple in format. Hoosier architect-builders applied the skills of their Eastern counterparts as much as possible within the framework of their technical expertise and availability of building materials. The five sites also displayed a sense of practicality on the frontier. All five structures represent a modification of the ancient models.The three men in the study came to Indiana at a time when it was beginning to flourish and all three rose to prosperity in a few years. A Greek Revival structure was a conspicuous way to declare to their constituents that they were among the elite on the frontier. At the same time they also endorsed the democratic, educational, and societal ideals which the nation's leaders wished to promote. Indiana's nineteenth-century architecture presented a microcosm of the new nation wishing to promote a new architectural style reminiscent of the ancient world.Thesis (Ph. D.