Editing Romanesque Revival Architecture (section)

== Decline ==

Romanesque Revival's popularity waned during the 1890s, yielding to Beaux-Arts classicism, Colonial Revival, and other styles that offered either greater refinement or historical specificity. The style's heaviness, which had seemed appropriately serious, came to appear oppressive as taste shifted toward lighter, more varied expression. Richardson's death in 1886 removed the style's most talented practitioner, and lesser followers produced buildings that lacked his design mastery. Romanesque Revival's moment proved relatively brief, though its impact on American architecture extended through architects who learned from Richardson's approach to materials, mass, and honest expression.<ref name="tatum"/>

Romanesque Revival buildings survive throughout Philadelphia, their solid construction ensuring physical durability even as architectural fashion moved on. Churches continue serving their congregations in Romanesque buildings whose religious associations remain appropriate. Commercial and institutional buildings have been adapted for new uses, their heavy masonry providing flexible floor plans and distinctive character. The style's emphasis on quality materials and substantial construction created buildings that have proved both durable and adaptable, valued today for qualities that their builders intended them to display.<ref name="ochsner"/>