30 Gorgeous Photos That Might Give You A New Appreciation For “Old American Architecture”

What comes to mind when you think of American architecture? Are you imagining modern buildings that have been built in the past 30 years? Or some of the most iconic structures in the country, such as the Empire State Building and the Flatiron Building. To be honest, I don’t really consider any buildings in the US to be old, and I definitely don’t imagine them to be as captivating as the structures you can find in other countries that have been around for thousands of years.

But the Old American Architecture page has made me realize that I shouldn’t discount buildings in the States completely. Because apparently, there are (or at least were at some point) some stunning ones. This Instagram account has shared nearly a thousand photos of buildings and amassed an impressive 100K followers. So clearly, lots of people are fans of these beautiful structures! 

If you’re not particularly familiar with architecture in the United States, have no fear. We’ll have a brief history lesson. First, let’s talk about the man, the myth, the legend: Frank Lloyd Wright. Many people consider him to be the greatest American architect of all time thanks to the buildings he designed during the first half of the 20th century. 

Wright is known for his “Prairie Style,” as well as the Usonian house, and he viewed architecture as “the great mother art.” He believed that every person has the right to live in a beautiful environment, and he aimed to make stunning architecture accessible to all. Some of his most famous buildings include Taliesin in Wisconsin, Fallingwater in Pennsylvania and King Kamehameha Golf Course Clubhouse in Hawaii.

Despite the fact that the United States has been an established nation for less than 250 years, there have been plenty of architectural styles that have come and gone during that time. According to the US General Services Administration, the country has already seen the Federal style, Greek Revival, Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Renaissance Revival, Second Empire, Beaux Arts Classicism, Neoclassicism, Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Art Deco and Moderne and Mid-Century Modernism.

If you’re visiting the United States and you’re interested in seeing some fascinating architecture, there are a few cities that you won’t want to miss. On the East Coast, you'll obviously need to visit New York City. You can see the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the Flatiron Building, the Chrysler Building, the Whitney Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, MoMA and more.

After visiting the Big Apple, architecture enthusiasts can easily take a train to Boston. There, you can marvel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Faneuil Hall, Symphony Hall, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Christian Science Plaza and the Boston Public Library.

From Boston, you might want to keep heading South and stop in Washington, DC. Some of the most fascinating architecture that the capital has to offer include the National Gallery of Art, Washington National Cathedral, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian Institution Building and the Lincoln Memorial.