Customer Reviews

Victorian Dwellings for Village and Country (1885) (Dover Architecture)

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Dover Publications has done an outstanding service in reprinting home plan books of past eras, and S.B. Reed's "Victorian Dwellings for Village and Country" is one of the best. A complete reproduction of the 1885 edition of this book, the Dover reprint is a fascinating and beautiful glimpse into one of home architecture's richest eras.

The plan of the book is simple and informative. It is a collection of 35 marvelously detailed designs for homes that range from a humble three-room cottage to an imposing boarding house. Each selection contains front and side (and in some cases, rear) elevations, along with floor plans for the first and (for the 2- and 3-story buildings) second stories. Each building is accompanied by a charming descriptive essay and a detailed estimate of the 1885 cost to build it.

The building plans bear such picturesque names as "Lillie Lake," "Willimantic," "Ravenswood," and "Stepping Stones." Interspersed among the design profiles are a few short essays on such relevant topics as plumbing and building cost estimation.

The Victorian language of the descriptive essays is a delight. Consider this description of the New Brighton (Design XV): "It has a tasty and picturesque exterior, and is convenient, cosey [sic] and cheerful within." But even more delightful are the floor plans and elevations. Covered verandas, inglenooks, decorative trim, towers and balconies--the full extravagant vocabulary of Victorian architecture is gloriously preserved.

This book will be treasured by historians, old house restorationists, artists, students of architecture and many more.

A delightful book. Each house mentioned is accompanied by a well writtein single paragraph that describes it beutfifully and even adds suggestions on how to build it such as putting the kitchen in the basement which is brilliant for a time before air conditioning. However it only provides two floors of plan rather than a full set. No plans for attic or basement which is a shame. Design XXXV no floor plans at all.

Otherwise great for those interested i archiecture or the history of the victorian period.

A joy.