Federal architecture

Federal style architecture occurred in the United States between 1780 and 1830, typically from 1785 to 1815. The phase is associated with the early Republic, and the founding of the national institutions of the United States. This same period is associated with the motifs of furniture design, emulating same design principles of the architectural period. The founders of the United States consciously choose to connect the state with the antique democracies of Greece and Rome. This was a intentional and marked contrast with the Gothic style, which was used for many English public buildings and associated with feudalism. Federal styles takes influence from the Georgian Neoclassical style, but differ in its use of plainer surfaces with attenuated detail; it was mainly influenced by the Adam style, an interpretation of Ancient Roman architecture fashionable after the unearthing of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The Bald Eagle was a common symbol used in this style, with the ellipse a frequent architectural motif.