I love it! This definitely goes in the book! The thread is classic BP, from serious to silly, from academic to informed, and all good. Thank you!
That said, I'll weigh in and agree with the consensus that the columns and capitals were carved on site. Seems logical for reasons stated. Ours may have been the grandest (Greek Revival) house in Ann Arbor in 1843; there were others in southeast Michigan, just none this early with Ionic capitals.
We're looking at classicst links and sources, and we're planning some trips to see the variety of expression, but some ideas will remain speculative. At the very least I hope our storeis will be fun to read.
When the column fell we had the opportunity to see how it was constructed, i.e. individual flutes nailed to blocking around an 8x8 center post of white pine, painted white. The capital was assembled from large chunks of wood, but may have been carved prior to assembly; I can't tell. The old growth pine is still in good condition. We're amazed that it survived the tumble largely intact, and it was a relief to see it restored. We recruited a talented local team to get us through the crisis, and the project has been successfully back in place for five years.
P.S. my dad was the Detroit City Tennis Champion, and the state champion badminton player for U of M, in 1937. Something like that... but I did not inherit those genes.
Ilene R Tyler, FAIA, FAPT, LEED AP
Principal and Director of Preservation
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