Buildings of Iowa

As with the other titles in the series, this book is the state-wide catalog of (mostly) historic buildings that you expect, sorted by region and town. Each entry includes a brief descriptive essay, and about one entry in ten also includes a small monochrome photograph. The coverage is comprehensive, with a focus on late Federal and Victorian styles. I also notice that the authors seem to favor domestic architecture over public architecture in this guide, which is something not found in other volumes in the series. In fact, I find the coverage of Sioux City's public architecture (particularly its many fine churches) to be entirely incomplete, and the only real flaw in the book.

This book is a handy dandy little guide for the daring soul who enjoys taking lazy Sunday afternoon drives in the great state of Iowa. The book doesn't have a lot of information per se, but it is really nice as a quick reference to many well-designed/constructed buildings that may be lurking just around the corner, or cornfield.