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A Field Guide to American Houses
by Virginia & Lee McAlester

Click to Purchase A Field Guide to American Houses

Paperback, 525 pages
Published by Random House
Publication date: June 1, 1984
Dimensions (in inches): 9.25 x 6.64 x 1.15
ISBN: 0394739698

Ever wonder what architectural features identify a house as a particular style or place it in a certain period of American history? What defines a house design as Native American or Dutch Colonial, Greek Revival or Queen Anne, Tudor or Neoeclectic? You will find the answers to these and other questions about home design in A Field Guide to American Houses.

It is an easy to use, and very comprehensive book that contains black and white photographs of hundreds of houses, which are located all around the United States. From the 17th century to the present, virtually every major house style is shown and described. Line drawings illustrate distinguishing characteristics, subtypes, variations, and architectural details. Maps are used to show where particular styles were commonly built. The importance of symmetry, roof pitch and wall intersection, door and window types, dormers, and porches are all explained clearly and completely.

First published in 1984, and reprinted in 1996 for the 13th time, this book was described by the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians as "the best field guide to American residential architecture that has ever been published and likely to remain so for many years." It is certainly the most thorough book I have ever seen on the subject.

Thank you Liz and John! It is exactly what I wanted.



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