In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, we invite you to join us on Wednesday May 27th for an exploration of colonial-era architecture and the Colonial Revival style, which was brought back into prominence by the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893. In this session of Talking About Preservation, architectural historian James Sexton, PhD, will reflect on the defining characteristics of colonial houses, the ways those forms evolved over time, and the emergence of Colonial Revival architecture in the 1870s as an expression of “American values.” He will also consider why the style reached new heights of popularity during moments of both uncertainty, such as the 1920s, and national celebration, including the Bicentennial in 1976. Over the decades that followed, Colonial Revival was embraced by the public, becoming and remaining the most enduring and widely favored style in American domestic architecture.
Talking About Preservation: The Origins of Colonial Revival Architecture, May 27th, 2026
