Residential Books

If you are looking for a complete guide to southern homes, then you need look no further. This is one of the best guides I have found.

I am a Southerner who works as a travel agent and travel writer. One of my greatest passions is visiting historical homes. I have a stack of books on historic homes and grand estates and together they do not contain as much information as this guide does.

When one thinks of Southern homes, grand plantations such as the one in Gone With the Wind come to mind. Or we think of the Victorian splendor of places such as Charleston and Savannah. With many places spanning over 200 years you will find a variety of historical homes in the south. Bob covers a great many often not found in other publications.

For example, here in NC, the only grand home that gets written about is The Biltmore Estate and on occasion Tryon Palace. Yet Bob lists 40. In fact thought this book I found several near my home that I didn't even know about. Thanks Bob!

When writing travel articles I inevitably over and over again reference this book and always suggest its use for my readers and for my clients as a travel agent. I do a lot of travel packages in the south and this is a most valuable reference for getting my clients to places they might other wise miss.

The book was published in 1993 so I would love to see an updated version. But for the best guide to southern homes there isn't a book that I have found so far with as much information as this one.

Doris Doane draws on years of experience as a historian and park ranger on Cape Cod to write text as only an "old timer" could. She lets you into a world that she grew to love -- Old Cape Cod. The illustrator brings his masterful work to the page to complement her work. A terrific book!

I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE DELIVERY SERVICE BECAUSE AMAZON RESPONDED FAST AND IN AN ADEQUATE WAY TO MY PROBLEMS.
THE BOOK IS GREAT, IT HAS A VERY CLEAR OVERVIEW OF BRAZIL'S MODERN ARCHITECTURE WITH BEAUTIFUL PICTURES!

I really love recreating the idea's in this book. I have a wonderful "Welcome" plaque hanging on my front door that I (yes me!) made.

When you stumble and choke on all those construction terms, codes,and get stressed, just read this and everything becomes crystal clear.

I learned a lot from the book and have passed it on to my son to do the same. He says it's A-OK.

This book is one of the best exaples of practicle expert advice and theory. This book will offer execelent ideas and execution of any deck restoration. This is a complete deck design projects must. "Well Done"

"The seeds of Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural philosophy are found in his Home and Studio at Oak Park, Illinois. It was here--from 1889 to 1909--that Wright tested his theories, which would coalesce into his famed Prairie style. Always experimenting with materials, forms, colors and the shaping of space, Wright constantly remodeled the Home and Studio, adapting to the changing needs of his family and work. By the 1970s, after the Home and Studio had been remodeled still more and sold several times, the unique structure, fabrics, and materials that so defined Wright's establishment had all but disappeared.

"Recognizing the importance of the Home and Studio, the city of Oak Park and the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust (then the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Foundation) set out to revitalize the community and preserve the historic building. Building a Legacy is a fascinating pictorial story of the incredible thirteen-year restoration effort.

"With conversational text, informative sidebars, and historic and present-day photographs and drawings, the book commemorates the dedicated efforts of community volunteers and paid workers. Covering the grassroots efforts to raise money, the detailed plan for the restoration, and the painstaking efforts necessary to complete the project, Building a Legacy documents this successful achievement of saving an intimate creation of one of the world's greatest architects."--Borders

The blurb explains the main purpose of the book quite well, but what it doesn't tell you about is the very interesting historical information on the architecture profession and how it changed during the second half of the 1800s. Although a relatively small part of the material, I found it very interesting to read about why and how the practitioners came to desire specific requirements in order to have the right to the title of "architect." Through the 1860s and into the 1870s, "architect" could mean builder or carpenter, as well as people with the training in artistic design that we would expect today. This book chronicles, in a small way, the tremendous upheaval in the field as it sought to become a true profession. There is, in addition, quite a bit of information on how architecture fit into and exhibited Americans' desire to express themselves in a unified and instantly recognizable way, to build an "American Identity." The book contains 94 black and white illustrations (drawings, floor plans and photographs), an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources (16 pages), and a solid index. Each chapter includes notes, many of which contain additional information. The book contains eight sections: 1. National Identity and an American Style of Architecture 2. A House in Civilized Nature 3. Building America with Pattern Book Houses 4. True Americans Own Homes 5. The 'American Architect' and Categories in the Profession 6. Defining the Modern House: Seeds of Disagreement, 1876-1881 7. The Modern Suburban House Holds Its Own Epilogue: One Town in the Pacific Northwest Altogether a fascinating book, and quite readable, even if you aren't familiar with architectural terminology. If you're a student or practitioner of architecture, you might want to buy it in hardback -- as someone with a less passionate but nonetheless sincere interest, I purchased the textbook version.

This book was most helpful to me in my quest for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Finding subject matter specifically targeted for Pattern houses has been difficult.

For me, this book would have been worth purchasing just for the introduction. I especially valued the section on Foursquare houses; my home is a Foursquare, which is part of the basis of my nomination. The Sears Roebuck catalog houses and Craftsman sections were also very interesting.

In all, "Building by the Book" reflects a thorough study in what is probably a neglected period of building, whereby middle class owners were enabled to build architect-designed homes which would otherwise have been reserved for the wealthy. Pattern books also provided direction for local builders.

As a preservationist and owner of a brick Foursquare classical revival pattern house built in the 1920's Craftsman era, I am hopeful that more of these homes will be saved for future appreciation. They generally exhibit a uniqueness that precedes the builder/developer subdivisions we see today.

I had hoped to find some history on the "Architect's Small House Service Bureau of the United States, Incorporated", active in the 1920's, which was administered by the American Institute of Architects and from which my pattern house was derived. If anyone has information, I'd love to have know.

Pattern houses were a boon to average citizens here and throughout the United States, enabling them to experience a share of the American Dream "that every American should be able to own a single-family house on its own green acre". The New Jersey study is an educational guide applicable across the nation.