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Second Empire Baroque Revival Architecture

Second Empire is an architectural style popular during the Victorian era, reaching its zenith between 1865 and 1880, and so named for the “French” elements in vogue during the era of the Second French Empire. While a distinct style unto itself, some Second Empire styling cues, such as quoins, have an indirect relationship to the styles previously in vogue, Gothic Revival and Italianate eras.

In the United States, the Second Empire style usually combined a rectangular tower, or similar element, with a steep, but short, mansard roof; the roof being the most noteworthy link to the style’s French roots. This tower element could be of equal height of the top most floor, or could exceed the height of the rest of the structure by a story or two. The mansard roof crest was often topped with an iron trim, sometimes referred to as “cresting”. In some cases, lightning rods were integrated into the cresting design, making the feature useful beyond its decorative features. The exterior style could be expressed in either wood, brick or stone. More elaborate examples frequently featured paired columns as well as sculptured details around the entrances, windows and dormers. The purpose of the ornament was to make the structure appear imposing, grand and expensive.

Floor plans for Second Empire residences could either be symmetrical, which placed the tower (or tower-like element) in the center or asymmetrical in nature in which the tower or tower-like element would be placed to one side.

The style also found its way in commercial structures, and was often used when designing state institutions. Several psychiatric hospitals proved the style's adaptability in their size and functions. Prior to the construction of The Pentagon in the 1940s, the Second Empire–styled Ohio State Asylum for the Insane in Columbus, Ohio was reported to be the largest building under one roof in the U.S., though the title may actually belong to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, another Kirkbride Second Empire asylum.

Second Empire was succeeded by the Queen Anne Style era, and its sub-styles, which enjoyed great popularity until the rise of the “Revival Era” in American architecture just before the end of the 19th century.

Leland Roth refers to the style as "Second Empire Baroque." Mullett-Smith [see references] calls it the "Second Empire or General Grant style" due to its popularity in building government buildings during the Grand administration.

The architect H.H. Richardson designed several of his early residences in the style, "evidence [Ochsner, see references] of his French schooling." These projects include the Crowninshield House, Boston Massachusetts, 1868, the H.H.Richardson House, Staten Island, New York, 1868 and the Dorsheimer House, Buffalo, New York, 1868.

In regard to the use of the Second Empire style for residences, the McAlesters [see references] divided the style into 5 subtypes:

Simple mansard roof - about 20 % 
Centered wing or gable 
Asymmetrical - about 20 % 
Towered - about 30 % 
Town house 

Notable Second Empire buildings

Canada

In Canada, Second Empire became the choice of the new Dominion government in the 1870’s and 1880’s for numerous public buildings and the provinces followed suit.
MacKenzie Building at the Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario, 1878, Robert Gage, architect
Parliament Building (Quebec), Quebec City, Quebec, 1886, Eugène-Étienne Taché, architect
Montreal City Hall, 1878, Henri-Maurice Perrault and Alexander Cowper Hutchison, architects
Saint John City Market, 1876, McKean and Fairweather, architects[1]
Government House, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1883

United States

Old City Hall, Boston
George W. Fulton Mansion, Rockport, Texas, 1877
Alexander Ramsey House, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 1868, Sheire and Summers, architects
Old City Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, 1862-1865, Bryant and Gilman, architects
New York City Courthouse and Post Office, 1869–1875, Alfred B. Mullett, architect
Philadelphia City Hall 1871–1881, John McArthur Jr., architect
State, War and Navy Building, formerly called the Old Executive Office Building, now called the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, 1871–1887, Alfred B. Mullett, architect, Washington D.C.
the "Old Post Office", 1873–1884, Alfred B. Mullett, architect, St. Louis, Missouri
2300 block, Chapline Street, Wheeling West Virginia
Hamilton Mansion, 1873, 330 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA, JD Hall Architect [2]
Mis Laura's (River Front Hotel) Bordello, 1898, originally at 123 North First Street but moved to 2 North B Street, Fort Smith, AR, National Register of Historic Places, added 1973 - Building - #73000391 [3]
South Hall, University of California, Berkeley, David Farquharson, architect
Terrace Hill, 1866-1869. State of Iowa governor's residence, Des Moines, Iowa.
Harker Hall, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Nathan Clifford Ricker, architect – oldest building on campus (built in 1878)

Australia

Hotel Windsor, Melbourne
Melbourne GPO, 1859–1907. Melbourne, Australia. A.E Johnson architect
Princess Theatre, 1866. Melbourne, Australia. William Pitt, architect.
Sydney Town Hall 1869–89. Sydney, Australia.
Chief Secretary’s Building 1890–95. Sydney, Australia. James Barnet, dome added by Vernon
Parliament House. 1868. Brisbane, Australia
Royal Exhibition Building, 1880. Melbourne, Australia. Joseph Reed, architect.
South Melbourne Town Hall, 1879–80. Melbourne, Australia. Charles Webb
Hotel Windsor, 1883. Melbourne, Australia. Charles Webb
Collingwood Town Hall, 1885. Melbourne, Australia. George R Johnson architect
Former Records Office, 1900. Melbourne, Australia. S.E. Brindley architect
Shamrock Hotel, 1888. Bendigo, Australia.
Bendigo Court House, 1892. Bendigo, Australia.
Bendigo Town Hall, 1859. Bendigo, Australia
Willsmere, former Lunatic Asylym, Kew, Victoria