Clio Logo
Downtown Dayton Walking Tour
Item 18 of 31

The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style.[1] It is named after King James VI and I, with whose reign (1603–1625 in England) it is associated. At the start of James' reign there was little stylistic break in architecture, as Elizabethan trends continued their development. However, his death in 1625 came as a decisive change towards more classical architecture, with Italian influence, was in progress, led by Inigo Jones; the style this began is sometimes called Stuart architecture, or English Baroque (though the latter term may be regarded as starting later).

Courtiers continued to build large prodigy houses, even though James spent less time on summer progresses round his realm than Elizabeth had. The influence of Flemish and German Northern Mannerism increased, now often executed by immigrant craftsmen and artists, rather than obtained from books as in the previous reign. There continued to be very little building of new churches, though a considerable amount of modifications to old ones, but a great deal of secular building.


A tour of Dayton View would not be complete without seeing Amherst Terrace, one of the largest and most elegant historic houses in the Dayton area. This Jacobean Tudor home was built in 1909. It has been known as the Leopold Rauh House and the Coates Mansion. Amherst Terrace was designed by Dayton architect, Albert Pretzinger, for Leopold Rauh. Rauh was the president of the Egry Register Company and a community activist. Rauh was instrumental in establishing Dayton's commission-manager form of government.

Depending on the source of information the home features 24 or 31 rooms and 8 1/2 baths. The Jacobean style generally defines the architect-designed phase of Tudor Revival architecture between 1895 and 1915. It is based on more formal, late Medieval English building traditions. Jacobean architecture was popular during the late 16th and early 17th centuries during the reigns of English rulers, Elizabeth the First and James the First.

Amherst Terrace is not a pure Jacobean design, however. Its main diagnostic characteristic of the style is the parapet gable, prominently featured to the left of the main entrance. Even more eye catching is the larger half-timbered gable, rarely found on Jacobean houses. Rauh died just six years after Amherst Terrace was built. The house was then sold to

Charles W. Hoffritz, President of American Finance and Investment Company. During World War II, the third floor ballroom was converted to six bedrooms and occupied by servicemen. It was the subject of a complete rehabilitation and remodeling as the 1983Dayton Philharmonic’s Designers’ Show House.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobean_architecture