Shortly before the American Civil War, Italian architecture became a prevalent style in this country and eventually became more popular than the fashionable Greek Revival and Gothic Revival styles. The Italian style of architecture is usually classified in three categories: Italian Renaissance Revival, Italianate, and Italian Villa. Although these classifications differ in very many ways, it is easy to identify each as an Italian style structure. Italian architecture typically includes the use of a thick, heavy cornice with brackets or dentils, a low pitched or flat roof, restrained and dignified ornamentation, and a simple building material such as stone masonry or scored stucco. Italian architecture was

especially popular in areas that experienced significant growth in the United States during the mid to late 1800s, including the Midwest, parts of the northeast, and in some areas of California.