The Buildings of Main Street is the primary resource for interpreting commercial architectural style. Richard Longstreth, a renowned and respected author in the field of historic preservation, presents a useful survey of commercial architecture in urban America. He has developed a typology of architectural classification for commercial application in American towns across the United States. Likely to be enjoyed by both students and members of the general public seeking an introduction to commercial architecture, The Buildings of Main Streetmakes a significant and lasting contribution to American architectural history.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
In 1977, the National Trust launched the experimental Main Street Program in three Midwest communities. Since then, the program to preserve architecturally significant structures has been established in over 1400 communities in 43 states, with mostly successful results. While applauding that effort, Longstreth warns that preservationists should be wary of nostalgic Main Street 'theme park' solutions. His goal in writing the guide is to help preservationists arm themselves with 'knowledge of the buildings' intrinsic qualities and of the legacy they represent.' The well-designed guide is organized by compositional types, such as the two-part commercial block .... Preservationists, architectural historians, and anyone interested in learning more about the rich and varied history of America's towns and cities will want a copy of this model guide. (Anne Miller North Carolina Historical Review )
First published in 1987, The Buildings of Main Street provided what had not existed before: A concise, coherent typology for identifying commercial buildings.... Longstreth's typology was quickly adopted by many preservation professionals as the standard for identifying and classifying commercial buildings. The 2000 edition contains the original text and photographs with a new preface and bibliography.... Longstreth's commercial typology works equally well to identify buildings in Chicago or Ottumwa, Iowa, and is as significant today as it was when introduced in 1987. (Molly Myers Naumann The Annals Of Iowa )
The Buildings of Main Street is the preeminent source on the subject of commercial architecture and main street commercial districts. This text is the 'standard' of the profession. (Jay D. Vogt )
First published in 1987, The Buildings of Main Street provided what had not existed before: A concise, coherent typology for identifying commercial buildings.... Longstreth's typology was quickly adopted by many preservation professionals as the standard for identifying and classifying commercial buildings. The 2000 edition contains the original text and photographs with a new preface and bibliography.... Longstreth's commercial typology works equally well to identify buildings in Chicago or Ottumwa, Iowa, and is as significant today as it was when introduced in 1987. (Molly Myers Naumann The Annals Of Iowa )
The Buildings of Main Street is the preeminent source on the subject of commercial architecture and main street commercial districts. This text is the 'standard' of the profession. (Jay D. Vogt )
About the Author
Richard Longstreth is professor of American civilization and director of the graduate program in historic preservation at George Washington University.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Useful reference,
By Generation W (North Plains, OR) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Buildings of Main Street: A Guide to American Commercial Architecture (American Association for State and Local History) (Paperback)
If you're interested in small commercial buildings from the late 1800s through the mid 1900s, then this is a good survey. The author presents a classification system and points out common themes (such as almost all theaters had vertical signs). Background information is plentiful but terse, although the sections on more modern building styles (1930 on) seem to get a short shrift. Maybe pricey for what you get - then again, I find myself refering to it a lot. A little more text and more / larger photos might have pushed it to five stars.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "must have" book on historic commercial architecture,
By Rocky Mountain reviewer (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Buildings of Main Street: A Guide to American Commercial Architecture (American Association for State and Local History) (Paperback)
Longstreth develops a usable classification system for 19th and 20th century commercial architecture, that works in real-world situations. Examples shown are ones that we've all seen on our own "Main Streets". This provides a useful basis for survey, evaluation, historic designation, rehabilitation, and other preservation decisions about historic commerical architecture.
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