Editing Frank Furness (section)

== Civil War Service ==

The Civil War interrupted Furness's architectural career but profoundly shaped his character and outlook. He enlisted in 1861, serving with distinction in the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry. At the Battle of Trevilian Station in June 1864, Furness led a desperate charge that rescued his regiment's colors, an action for which he received the Medal of Honor. The war's violence and his survival through near-death experiences left marks that some critics see reflected in his architecture's aggressive energy and sense of forces in tension. Furness returned to Philadelphia in 1864 a decorated hero, ready to pursue architecture with the intensity he had brought to combat.<ref name="thomas"/>