The Classical Revival.

On the eve of the twentieth century American architecture was at a crossroads. Victorian architecture and design were preoccupied with past styles, particularly Greek and Roman classicism. The classical revival in architecture took its lead from the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, where, beginning in the mid nineteenth century, many American architects studied; upon their return to the United States they passed on the Beaux Arts philosophy to their own students. Beaux Arts principles were dominant in American architecture for about a hundred years.

Organic Design.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Beaux Arts was challenged by two related developments that took their inspiration from organic growth in nature: the Chicago school in architecture and the Arts and Crafts movement. The first, and the most important, architect to employ the organic concept was Louis Sullivan...