Moorish in the Midwest: the Alhambra's influence on nineteenth-century American architecture

Date
2019
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University of Delaware
Abstract
Moorish in the Midwest considers how and why Moorish design made its way into American architecture. This thesis positions the Alhambra (Granada, Spain) as a direct architectural source that informs the architectural design of two sites in the Midwest – Plum Street Temple in Cincinnati, OH (1865) and William Sauntry’s Recreation Hall in Stillwater, MN (1902). By tracing the Alhambra’s presence in nineteenth-century American print and visual culture, I analyze how these influences shape later choices to adopt Moorish architecture and Alhambresque design. I interrogate the motivations behind and original intent of the Midwest architectural sites by assessing Plum Street Temple and the Recreation Hall’s designs, architectural connections to the Alhambra, and local understandings of Moorish architecture and the Alhambra. This thesis seeks to fill a gap in American architectural history by highlighting one of the least studied non-European design sources. I argue that Moorish architecture is part of American design expression by demonstrating the pervasiveness of the Alhambra in American culture and its impact on American architecture.
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