From Chicago to Albany Welcome back to Period Dramas, a weekly column that alternates between rounding up historic homes on the market and answering questions we?ve always had about older structures.
From the measured proportions of the Beaux-Arts to the ostentatiousness of the French Chateau style, American architecture in the 19th century?especially the second half of the 19th century?drew inspiration from a variety of countries and building styles.
Few structures, though, are as imposing as those built in the Romanesque Revival style.
Romanesque architecture first came about in Europe around the 11th and 12th centuries. Now best seen throughout medieval churches in France and Germany, the style emphatically used the rounded arch, which was famously developed in ancient Rome, wherever it could, like barrel-vaulted hallways, arched doorways, and windows. The Romanesque revival occurred about 700 years later, popular from the 1870s to about 1900, and continued the repeated use of the rounded arch. The revival also married the archway with other striking characteristics like rough, heavy stone and intricately carved woodwork. The look of these buildings?best championed by the Gilded Age architect H.H. Richardson?seemed to resemble fortresses. They conveyed heft and permanence.
While the style was popular for public buildings, many people commissioned Romanesque houses. Here are three that are currently up for grabs.

Albany, NY (11 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, $799,000)
S...