AMERICAN HOUSE STYLES:
2nd Edition 2018, 1st Edition 1994, both Published by W W Norton & Co Inc
Purchase the Book Here: AMAZON
"Colonial", "Victorian", "Neoclassical", "Modern" - what distinguishes one architectural style from another? How and where did these different styles develop? America has an abundance of fascinating and varied house styles, as fascinating and diverse as its people. When we explore our neighborhoods and travel around the country, how do we recognize the kind of architecture we see? Even people interested in houses can rarely identify the style of their own homes with any precision.
To create this guide, architect John Milnes Baker designed a simple, two-story house with four bedrooms. From the basic plan, he developed over 60 variations, from the steeply pitched roofs of Early New England Colonial houses to the turrets and grand porches of the Queen Anne style, the austere geometry of the International style, through Postmodern eclecticism.
REVIEWS OF THE SECOND EDITION:
“History is all around us—so much so that it can be hard to see it. John Milnes Baker’s classic work, now beautifully updated, helps us to locate it in our very houses. Through brick and stucco, pediments and porticos, he brings history home to us.” — Russell Shorto, author of Revolution Song
“John Milnes Baker is a congenial companion, encyclopedic without being dull, discriminating but not dismissive. His affectionate survey of four centuries of American houses and American aspirations is an accessible guide to the world we’ve built and a good set of principles for understanding whatever we’ll think up next.” — Kent Barwick, former chair of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
“John Mines Baker’s latest edition is a cause for celebration. This concise and erudite guide is essential for any novice – or seasoned admirer - of architecture. The combination of text and illustrations makes this book a perfect inspiration to travel the country and explore our nation’s rich architectural heritage. Adam Van Doren, author of The Stones of Yale and The House Tells the Story: Homes of the American Presidents
"Filled with useful and interesting information presented in a splendidly accessible format. The charming renderings scattered throughout the book allow one to see in a moment just what is meant by 'Federal,' 'Italianate,' 'Spanish Mission,' and all other styles that make up the history of American domestic architecture." --David Garrad Lowe, author of Stanford White's New York
"Do you know the style of your house, or why Americans designed dwellings that looked like Swiss cuckoo clocks, Greek temples or Italian villas? [This] new book can help. [It] provides answers and sketches of several dozen styles ranging from early Colonial to deconstructionist." --Elaine Louie, New York Times
"Invaluable...impressive...both in the enormous amount of work involved and in the lovely quality of the drawings. It is also a superb reference work." --Eugene Raskin, A.I.A., Adjunct professor (retired), Columbia University