The Federal Style of architecture in America mirrored a similar movement that had occurred in England.  The Adamesque Style that was popular in England between 1760 and 1790 had an obvious influence on the new style that emerged in the newly independent country in the 1780s.  Just as the Adamesque movement in England marked a change from the English Palladianism which had been the dominant architectural motif for several decades to the Neoclassical Adamesque Style, so did the Federal Style replace the English-styled Georgian motif with a Neoclassicism of its own. 

This break in styles in America was not, however, a sudden dramatic abandonment of the English style.  Rather, early Federal Style is characterized by its combination of English and Neoclassical features.  As the Federal period went on, though, there was an obvious progression away from the English style toward a neoclassical motif that was distinctively Federal. 

The culmination of this Federal Style in New England domestic architecture is the Mansion at Gore Place in Waltham, Massachusetts.  In order to achieve the Federal Style perfection that the Gore Mansion represents, New England architects and artisans had to undergo their own progression in their skills of executing the Neoclassical style.  This progression can be seen in the examples of the Peirce-Nichols House in Salem, Massachusetts; the John Brown House in Providence, Rhode Island; and the Gardner-Pingree House in Salem, Massachusetts. 
 

Characteristics of Federal Style Architecture 
 

In order for this new style of architecture to emerge in America, there had to be certain fundamental conditions present.  First, there was the need for wealth.  The homes that were built in the Federal Style were not modest by any means.  These homes were mansions built by some of the wealthiest Americans of the time.  The homes all share the common trait they are located in an area of extreme wealth and commercial activity. 

Second, the owners of these homes needed to be in some position of prominence.  It is doubtful that these homeowners would choose to incorporate such elaborate and ornate styles into their homes if they were not trying to use their homes as showcases of their position in the society.  Each of the owners of these Federal Style homes were politically active and extremely influential in their respective communities.  The owners' constant need to show off their wealth and position is evident in how the homes progress in their elegance and style as the period progresses. 

Third, each of the owners had to have had some sort of contact with Europe in which he saw the classical motif in use.  The homeowners’ considerable travel explains how they must have been so impressed with the styles they witnessed overseas that they were inspired to bring what they had seen back to America and embody these styles in their own homes.  

Finally, there had to be the presence of skilled artisans.  The Federal Style's ornate and intricate designs made it imperative that the craftsmen and woodworkers who built these home had the skills needed to execute these features.  The emergence of this decorative style coincided with the emergence of a group of professional architects and artisans.  As professionals, these architects and artisans were able to study the works of other builders and they then could devote a substantial amount of time to perfecting their craft.(1) 

It is a combination of all of these reasons that classicism found its way to New England domestic architecture in the 1780s and progressed to the level that was achieved with the Gore Mansion in the latter part of this period. 

1. Wayne Andrews, Architecture, Ambition and Americans: A Social History of American Architecture (New York: The Free Press, 1969), 60.