Popularized by Americans who traveled to Europe during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the monumental proportions of this classically derived style made it well suited for public buildings (such as train stations, libraries, banks and post offices) and commercial structures, lending a sense of grandeur to buildings. Characteristics include:

• flat roof hidden behind a balustrade (railing)
• different wall and surface treatments on each story
• arched windows and openings that vary in height from floor to floor
• applied classical columns (or pilasters) on symmetrical façades

Click here to see photos of Beaux Arts buildings in Lancaster.