The American House

Most architectural field guides describe a specific style and then show a number of ordinary buildings that illustrate the details that make up the style. By the sheer volume, authors try to make their points. This field guide is different in that Mary Mix Foley spends a lot more time describing the architectural style and picks notable houses to illustrate the points she is making. Foley is a strong writer and she takes the time to tell her story. She is aided in this endeavor by very good line drawings of significant American houses. There are more comprehensive field guides but there are no field guides that are better written.

I got this book from the library and loved it so much I wanted a copy of my own. If you love American architecture, this has just about every type of American style home scetched with precision, each architectural detail explained. Each home is identified by its style, and where exactly it is located, with interesting tidbits about the owners or location added. Being from NJ, it was interesting to see that there is one specific style seen only in Salem County, NJ, which is right around the corner from me. Stuff like that really brings it alive.