Local Architecture and Historic Preservation

Architectural History Bibliography

A Field Guide to American Architecture, Carole Rifkind. New York: Plume Books, New American Library, Inc., 1980. Sections include: Residential, Ecclesiastical, Civic and Commercial and Utilitarian, with photographs, line drawings and floor plans. ISBN 0-452-25224-5.

A Field Guide to American Houses, Virginia and Lee McAlester. New York: Knopf, 1984. A thorough discussion of residential American architecture beginning with Native dwellings and extending to the 1940s. Photographs and line drawings show "high style" and vernacular examples, and charts of details are very useful. ISBN 0-394-51032-1 0-394-73969-8.

American Architecture Since 1780, Marcus Whiffen. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1969. One of the best concise, standard introductions to architectural styles. $14.95, ISBN 0-262-730979. Two other books by Whiffen include: American Architecture from 1607 to 1860, $16.95, ISBN 0-262-730-693 and American Architecture From 1860-1976, $16.95, ISBN 0-262-730-707.

American Shelter, An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Home, Lester Walker. New York: The Overlook Press, 1981. Good drawings, floor plans. Overlook Press, Lewis Hollow Road, Woodstock, NY 12498, or Viking Press. ISBN 0-87951-131-1.

Architecture: Form, Space and Order, 1979; and Architectural Graphics, 1985, Francis D. K. Ching. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. An excellent introduction to architectural principles with beautiful line drawings and clear text, and a thorough introduction to drawing conventions. $25.59, ISBN 0-442-21535-5; $22.95, ISBN 0-442-21864-8.

House Styles At A Glance, Maurie Van Buren. Atlanta: Longstreet Press, 1991. Line drawings accompany text present both historic and contemporary houses. $12.95, ISBN 0-929264-85-1.

Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture, Cyril M. Harris, editor, 1977. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1983. A guide to architectural terms from ancient to modern eras. $15.95, ISBN 0-486-24444-X.

Round Buildings, Square Buildings, & Buildings That Wiggle Like a Fish, Phillip Isaacson. New York: Knopf, 1988. Despite the title, this book is an introduction for older students and adults, with photographs and text on how to look at buildings. $14.95, ISBN 0-394-89382-4 / 0-394-99382-9.

Under Every Roof, A Kid's Style and Field Guide to the Architecture of American Houses, Patricia Brown Glen. Washington, DC: The Preservation Press, 1993. Text and drawings are aimed at students and include a wide variety of house types and locations. $16.95, ISBN 0-89133-214-6.

What Style Is It?, John Poppeliers, et al., Historic American Buildings Survey. Published by the Preservation Press, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington, DC.

What It Feels Like to Be a Building (1988, reprint), and Bridges Go From Here To There (1993), Forrest Wilson. National Trust For Historic Preservation. Lively discussion and wonderful drawings exploring structural concepts. Available from the Preservation Press, National Trust For Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 673-4200. $15.95; ISBN 0-891-33142-5 and $16.95; ISBN-0-89133-206-5.

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