AT 11: Murray Building & the Greek Revival Style

The Murray Building is another example of Greek Revival architecture at Naper Settlement that pre-dates the Daniels House. Early settlers living in log cabins wanted to build homes with siding as soon as possible to have their homes appear more “civilized.” Many settlers in Naperville had come from the East Coast and wanted to imitate the styles of their former New England villages. However, these homes typically had no insulation and were very cold in winter compared to their log counterparts. The Murray House has these Greek Revival style characteristics: -A narrow line of transom and sidelight windows around the door. -No entry porch. -A gabled roof, or a roof with triangular shaped walls in between the sloping edges of the roof, with a low pitch, or steepness. -A wide, divided band of trim emphasizing the roof’s cornice lines (the horizontal decorative element near the top of a building or wall).