Victorian Cottage Architecture: An American Catalog of Designs, 1891 (Dover Architecture) [Paperback]

George F. Barber (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dover Architecture | Publication Date: February 3, 2004

Reprint of rare catalog by one of America's most successful, late-19th-century domestic architects, with more than 100 designs for 68 houses. Elevations and floor plans for custom-designed homes in the Colonial, Romanesque, and Queen Anne styles, as well as plans for verandas, summer pavilions, and barns. Invaluable to architectural historians, preservationists, and home restorers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Dover Ed edition (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486429903
• ISBN-13: 978-0486429908
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #379,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #90 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Home Design > House Plans

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad trip down memory lane, January 25, 2007

By 

William L. Mitchell "Sawdust" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Victorian Cottage Architecture: An American Catalog of Designs, 1891 (Dover Architecture) (Paperback)

As a Victorian Architecture buff, I'm hard pressed to give a distinct verdict on this book. It has great illustrations, offers general plans with dimensions for all of the designs, and gives a down and dirty description of each, but it seems to raise more questions than answers. If you are looking to discover what this type of architecture looked like, both in overall appearance and in selected details, then this is the book for you. If you are looking to discover how these things were built, then you are going to be slightly disappointed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Victorian House Plans, January 1, 2011

By 

Patricia Treat "young at heart" (Philadelphia/WilmingtonDE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Victorian Cottage Architecture: An American Catalog of Designs, 1891 (Dover Architecture) (Paperback)

All in all (in spite of a few frustrating things), it is full of information and will give many hours of pleasure. The first 9 sheets are primarily text (13 pages of text), 13 pages of photos of actual houses (no plans--frustrating), another 10 pages of text, and then finally, 153 pages of floor plans with either elevations or perspectives. If any of the photos of houses at the beginning of the book corresponded to a floor plan later in the book, I was unable to spot it (frustrating). The perspectives and floor plans are in black and white (which is okay) with one house per page (which is good). Frequently a house is given two facing pages; there is a photo of a house on the left and then a perspective drawing of the same house on the facing page (or a perspective drawing on each page, each from a different angle), with the floor plans below (that is fabulous!!!). And, sometimes, there is a perspective (a corner view) on one page and an elevation (straight on view) with a similar floor plan on each page showing two variations on the same house (again, fabulous). Except for showing photos of houses without floor plans, it is an excellent book. Unfortunately, no floor plans for attic rooms were shown, even though it was obvious that there was another floor of bedrooms up there.

5.0 out of 5 stars Sure wish I could buy one of these for the prices listed in the book!, June 20, 2011

By 

Drawcat - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Victorian Cottage Architecture: An American Catalog of Designs, 1891 (Dover Architecture) (Paperback)

The designs in this book range from very small "cottages" to very large, very nice homes. Most of them are quite ornate. As most of the home designs are almost 120 years old, they really don't work very well for today's life-style, but, add a couple of nice bathrooms and update the kitchen, and you would have an extremely nice, attractive home. This book was definitely worth the price!