Classical Doors
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Classical
A classical entryway will always delight the eye. It is often the most ornamented of entryways and serves as the frontispiece for the entire building façade. A well-designed classical entry will consider and complement the entire building in an harmonious way.
We offer design and fabrication services to provide the best solutions for these important entryways. Using appropriate combinations of elements including sidelights, fanlights, pilasters, entablatures and porticos, our classical entryways are custom-tailored for your project. Our experience in Georgian, Federal, Greek, and Classical Revival is available to you and your architect.
Historical Note
Classical doors encompass a wide range of design variations, constructed with the frame-and-panel method. In the early 1700’s, the use of “frame-and-panel” doors replaced the plank-style doors used by the first American settlers. This new construction style, which is still used today, is both more sophisticated and more effective. It helped resolve the problem of seasonal expansion and contraction of wood. In frame-and-panel doors, two vertical stiles spanned the length of the door on each side, connected by horizontal rails. This frame was then completed with “floating panels” that fitted into grooves cut into the stiles and rails. The overall effect resulted in a door that minimized the tendency to swell and shrink, thus remaining more airtight.
Classical door styles and their primary period of use in North America include:
- Georgian (ca. 1700–1780)
- The first dominant architectural style in Colonial America based on designs developed by the royal architects of King George I, II and III.
- Federal (ca. 1790–1820)
- Post-revolutionary style that introduced more elaborate decoration and widespread use of the fanlight above the door.
- Classical Revival (ca. 1790–1825)
- Similar in design to Federal period doors, but constructed with the use of early woodworking machinery, which allowed for more variety in moldings.
- Greek Revival (ca. 1825–1860)
- The first major shift in style from the Federal period, often with larger vertical panels and more elaborate moldings.