Romanesque Revival architecture is a Victorian-era revival of the medieval Romanesque style. Its masonry construction and vaulting make it one of my favorite styles. Like the similar Gothic Revival, it was used for churches as it originated, but Romanesque features were applied to new types, such as university buildings and skyscrapers.
Romanesque Revival architecture in its fully developed form was introduced in the 1840s. In England, many smaller-scale churches were built using Romanesque forms (as opposed to Gothic Revival for larger ones), and the style quickly took off in the United States with James Renwick Jr.'s Smithsonian Institution Building, completed in 1851. A similar movement known as Rundbogenstil was ongoing in Germany. Romanesque architecture was seen as more restrained than the often-flamboyant Gothic, and it was better suited for American needs than the contemporary Greek Revival style. However, Italianate and Gothic Revival architecture remained the most prevalent styles of the time.
Romanesque Revival's second wind came with the influence of H. H. Richardson, whose highly unique interpretation of the style resulted in a subset of so-called "Richardsonian Romanesque" works. Though many American buildings were inspired by Richardson, others were more orthodox recreations of medieval Romanesque designs. This wave lasted until roughly 1900.
Romanesque Revival architecture can be difficult to distinguish from the closely related Richardsonian Romanesque style. The differences are subtle, and many works are falsely attributed. All Romanesque-influenced buildings are of masonry construction and have semicircular vaulting. They typically have heavy massing and features such as towers, dormers, and small columns.
This website's distinction of a Romanesque Revival building versus a Richardsonian one is that it lacks features from the latter. Roughness is a major feature of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, so if a design has smoother masonry, it is probably Romanesque Revival. Others are a more literal recreation of medieval Romanesque (as opposed to Richardson's eclecticism), lack polychrome masonry or massive voussoirs, or have features that are uncommon in Richardsonian designs like double-arched windows or more abundant ornamentation.
Though more popular in its second incarnation, Romanesque Revival architecture did not persist as long as Gothic Revival. It fell out of favor around the turn of the 20th century, though its forms have been reused by Postmodern and New Classical architects.