A history of American houses from the crudely built log cabins of the early settlers to the skycrapers of the twentieth century.

A guide to classic colonial style for the modern home covers fabric, furniture, and finishing touches and features photographs of examples of colonial decorating.

This comprehensive survey of British colonial governors' houses and buildings used as state houses or capitols in the North American colonies begins with the founding of the Virginia Colony and ends with American independence. In addition to the 13 colonies that became the United States in 1783, the study includes three colonies in present-day Florida and Canada--East Florida, West Florida and the Province of Quebec--obtained by Great Britain after the French and Indian War.

This lavishly-illustrated volume provides an unprecedented look at twenty-eight houses (plus eleven barns and other structures) built in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries by Dutch colonists in the north-eastern United States, primarily in upstate New York and along the Hudson River Valley, on Long Island and Staten Island, and in New Jersey. An authoritative work-- written by eminent experts in the field-- "Dutch Colonial Homes in America" explores the homes in their broader social context by focusing on the historical and religious forces of the times. This book is the first to investigate the meaning of the home and its aesthetics for the Dutch in America, and also the first to look at these homes as a form of art and craft and, importantly, the influence this form and these people had on the shape of the American house to come. The 200 spectacular new color photographs here are beautifully styled in a manner that recalls the paintings of Vermeer and evoke what might have been the ambiance of these homes hundreds of years ago.

An intriguing examination of classic colonial houses, this fact-filled foray explores with remarkable concision the "medieval period" of American architecture. The treatise takes for its examples the first houses built along the Atlantic coast in the seventeenth century. While these early structures were usually based on traditional English and Dutch styles, their design and methods of construction soon acquired a unique character of their own. Geographically remote from the stylistic restrictions of Europe, American architects used new plans and construction elements to create fresh new dwellings with individual beauty and charm. Early American Houses includes over 100 photographs and illustrations that highlight the architecture of young America, with a particular focus on the Tudor and late Gothic styles that ultimately shaped the distinctive house designs of today. Original floor plans and sketches abound — including interior and exterior treatments, elevations, and framing — partnered with detailed descriptions that breathe life into each construction. Accompanying this work is a comprehensive Glossary of Colonial Architectural Terms. Originally published separately, it provides definitions for everything from "arch" to "wainscot," and it is reprinted here to enhance the overall value of the companion volume.

Twenty restored or renovated Early American country homes feature the myriad of different styles from around the country. The homes exude a simplicity that is somewhat rustic and somewhat country in an understated way. Tim Tanner also features some small cabins that have been made livable for today as well as decorating ideas and outbuildings. Early American Country Homes is an inspiration and resource for those who are interested in building, re-creating, restoring, or just enjoying a return to simpler styling in home design.

Includes Millford Plantation and Drayton Hall as well as Mount Vernon and Monticello.