Customer Reviews

Building By The Book

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This book was most helpful to me in my quest for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Finding subject matter specifically targeted for Pattern houses has been difficult.

For me, this book would have been worth purchasing just for the introduction. I especially valued the section on Foursquare houses; my home is a Foursquare, which is part of the basis of my nomination. The Sears Roebuck catalog houses and Craftsman sections were also very interesting.

In all, "Building by the Book" reflects a thorough study in what is probably a neglected period of building, whereby middle class owners were enabled to build architect-designed homes which would otherwise have been reserved for the wealthy. Pattern books also provided direction for local builders.

As a preservationist and owner of a brick Foursquare classical revival pattern house built in the 1920's Craftsman era, I am hopeful that more of these homes will be saved for future appreciation. They generally exhibit a uniqueness that precedes the builder/developer subdivisions we see today.

I had hoped to find some history on the "Architect's Small House Service Bureau of the United States, Incorporated", active in the 1920's, which was administered by the American Institute of Architects and from which my pattern house was derived. If anyone has information, I'd love to have know.

Pattern houses were a boon to average citizens here and throughout the United States, enabling them to experience a share of the American Dream "that every American should be able to own a single-family house on its own green acre". The New Jersey study is an educational guide applicable across the nation.