Minard Lafever

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Minard Lafever
Personal information
Name	Minard Lafever
Birth date	1798
Birth place
Date of death	1854
Work
Significant buildings	First Presbyterian Church (Sag Harbor), St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church

Minard Lafever (1798-1854) was an American architect of churches and houses.

Four of his buildings which subsequently designated National Historic Landmarks are:

• First Presbyterian Church (Sag Harbor) (tall steeple destroyed in a hurricane)
• St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church
• Old Merchant's House
• Sailors Snug Harbor

He wrote five pattern books that were influential in spreading his Greek Revival style, including "The Modern Builder's Guide" (1833) and "The Beauties of Modern Architecture" (1839).

The Greek Revival Government Street Presbyterian Church in Mobile, Alabama is a National Historic Landmark that was designed by others following many of the latter book's detailed guidelines.^[1] Interestingly, that church's tall steeple, like the steeple of Lafever's First Presbyterian Church in Sag Harbor was destroyed in a hurricane.

Another National Historic Landmark apparently built using The Beauties of Modern Architecture pattern book is Rose Hill in western New York, built in the style of a two story Greek temple with Ionic columns in 1837. (Note there is a discrepancy in the above-stated 1839 date of publication of that pattern book, vs. 1833 date of publication stated in Rose Hill source, vs. 1837 construction date of Rose Hill.)^[2]

Yet another National Historic Landmark built based on these pattern books is Alansten and/or Lounsberry, two Greek Revival mansions within Boston Post Road Historic District.

His work also included Egyptian Revival and Gothic Revival styles.

[edit] References

1. ^ John Sledge and Robert Gamble (April 2, 1992), National Historic Landmark Nomination: Government Street Presbyterian ChurchPDF (959 KiB), National Park Service  and Accompanying 11 photos, exterior and interior, from 1991.PDF (1.21 MiB)
2. ^ Carolyn Pitts (undated, perhaps 1983), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Rose Hill MansionPDF (509 KiB), National Park Service  and Accompanying 6 photos, from 1962, c.1975, and c.1980.PDF (742 KiB)