Gothic revival is a return to the architectural styles of the Middle Ages. Even though the Gothic revival was practiced throughout Europe, its greatest importance was in the United States and England. Eighteenth and nineteenth century Americans had a wide variety of European architectural styles to choose from, such as: Roman, Greek, Gothic and Egyptian. Immigrants began to build in the same architectural styling as their native land was built. It was approximately in 1800 that Gothic architecture came to the United States and began to spring up in both the South and North in many developments, however is some evidence that it began in the late 1700"s. The architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe is the father of the American Gothic architectural style. He boldly introduced the style when he moved in approximately 1798 from England to Philadelphia, and in turn set a course for an architectural revolution in the Southern and Northern United states. But how was this successful when everything was against this style? Northerners detested the Gothic architectural style because of its association with the persecuting Roman Catholic Church. Most of the Southern planters favored classical styles because they liked symmetry, and Gothic architecture and symmetry did not go together. In addition, Gothic architecture had always been associated mainly with religious structures, so how and why did Gothic housing become popular? In spite of these hindrances, the Gothic architectural style did thrive in the United States in both churches and houses. Latrobe's revolution however, transpired for several reasons: the first was the American ties with English culture; and the other was the symbolism that Gothic architecture portrayed. .
Cathedrals are and were the most significant Gothic architectural structures throughout the world. These breath-taking buildings had all sorts of ornamentation (and sometimes seemingly too much), which displayed, but were not limited to: buttresses, pinnacles, gargoyles, and they included massive towers#.