Editing Italianate Architecture (section)

== Commercial Applications ==

Italianate architecture proved particularly suited to commercial buildings, where cast-iron technology enabled elaborate facades at reasonable cost. Cast-iron fronts could be manufactured in foundries and assembled on site, providing ornamental richness that would have been prohibitively expensive in carved stone. These facades featured Italianate elements at monumental scale: giant pilasters, heavy cornices, ornate window frames, and rusticated ground floors that created appropriate settings for retail and office functions.<ref name="tatum"/>

Philadelphia's downtown developed extensive commercial Italianate streetscapes during the 1850s and 1860s. Market Street, Chestnut Street, and Arch Street filled with cast-iron commercial buildings whose facades created unified commercial districts of unprecedented elegance. Large plate-glass windows at street level displayed goods to passing shoppers, while upper floors provided offices and light manufacturing space. Many of these buildings have been demolished or substantially altered, but survivors document the style's commercial applications and the sophistication of Philadelphia's iron-founding industry.<ref name="moss"/>