Talk:Wallowa County Courthouse

A fact from Wallowa County Courthouse appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 22 August 2012, and was viewed approximately 2,000 times (disclaimer) (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that the Wallowa County Courthouse (pictured) in northeastern Oregon is a massive Romanesque style building with Queen Anne architectural elements in some exterior features?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2012/August. The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Wallowa County Courthouse.

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Architecture

Sorry to have to be so beastly, given that your article has made DYK, but: The statement that this building is a massive Romanesque style building with Queen Anne architectural elements in some exterior features is an inaccurate description, and you've got the Heritage Register to thank for that piece of information!

There is nothing whatsoever about this building that resembles Romanesque architecture except that the stone is rough surfaced.

But note that the blocks are all cut in neat courses and "rusticated" as a surface effect. They are not rough, irregular blocks.

Queen Anne was built in grey, texture Bessemer Blocks, along with every other imaginable material. Here is a good example: Marquay Cottage.

This building ought not be described as having "Queen Anne architectural elements in some exterior features".

The Queen Anne style, as it is demonstrated in domestic architecture of the late 19th-early 20th centuries is generally marked by its extremely decorative nature, its elaborate roofline and its asymmetry. The courthouse fits with only a few of those distinctions. Queen Anne style is basically a Classicising style, and not everything that is Classicising is Queen Anne.

The building in fact has Classicising elements on every single external feature, including the textured stone.

Classical features:

Symmetry
Projecting bays on either side
Segmental arches of windows (NOT semi-circular Romanesque)
Keystones (Romanesque arches don't have ornamental keystones)
Carefully cut and radiating stones of every arch. (Romanesque architecture doesn't emphasise the radiating stones. It has carves semi-circular mouldings merging the stones into the curve. )
Projecting cornice.
Roof gables shaped exactly like Classical pediments.

Since your major source has the description wrong, I'm not sure how you go about correcting this, except to shift the emphasis.

I would use the term "Free Classical" to describe this building.

Amandajm (talk) 17:06, 22 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

As you point out, National Register of Historic Places nomination says: “The Wallowa County Courthouse displays characteristics of the Romanesque style in its simple, massive volume, rough-faced stonework and arches. Some elements from the Queen Anne style are also displayed, such as the multiple roof forms, segmental arch windows and patterned shingles.” Sounds like you have a good understanding of how this building should be characterized so maybe you’d better make the changes. Hopefully, you can provide an appropriate source for the changes.--Orygun (talk) 22:09, 22 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I'm often rather amazed at the categorization of buildings as "Romanesque" by US heritage authorities. "Romanesque" appears to be a buzz word, because of Richardson Romanesque. The problem needs to be dealt with at some level. It just seems odd to have some interferring Australian telling them they need to look harder. I honestly don't know where I could possibly find a source that describes it properly. Amandajm (talk) 05:16, 23 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]