Classical Town Names in the United States: The Historical Geography of an American Idea

Abstract

T HE Classic Revival-in essence the notion (sometimes articulate, more often subliminal) that the United States is the latter-day embodiment of the virtues and ideals of ancient Greece and Rome-has been one of several pervasive elements in American mythology that have helped make our cultural history and geography distinctively American. The important legacy of the Classical World has been bestowed on all the countries comprising the Greater European community in a variety of ways, principally as a direct hereditary residue or as sets of traits dispatched outward through the normal diffusional processes, most notably in law, religion, science, education, the fine arts, language, and literature. In addition, there has been the deliberate resurrection and pursuit of things classical that began in the Renaissance and has not fully subsided even now. It is a working hypothesis of this paper that nowhere else within the broad spatial and temporal range of this prolonged, far-flung revival, with the possible exception of Revolutionary France, was there such an intense, self-revelatory florescence of this movement as occurred during the early decades of our national existence. Although American culture shares with others a good many Neoclassical elements-for example, architectural styles, city planning, personal names, scholarly vocabulary, military terminology, ceremonial language (as in official mottoes, inscriptions on public buildings, and academic diplomas), the iconography of currency and seals, and divers aspects of politics, education, journalism, oratory, and literature-Americans have cultivated these with special earnestness and vigor. This is most obviously the case with the one item that has been accorded appreciable attention, the architecture of homes, churches, colleges, cemeteries, commercial structures, and public buildings.' Then there is the profusion of classical forenames for both males and females that, at least in the masculine department,