A Building History of Northern New England

by James L. Garvin

This is a book about understanding old buildings. In an era in which much of the US landscape has been littered by unimaginative, prefabricated structures, James L. Garvin tells owners and would-be owners of old buildings in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont what they need to know before they begin the restoration process. In wonderfully lucid prose, Garvin describes the production of the materials from which the buildings of northern New England were built, outlines the stylistic evolution of the region's structures from the early 1700s to World War II, and offers guidelines for dating old buildings. Focusing on domestic architecture, but including examples of public, commercial, religious, and industrial buildings, he offers custodians of buildings an understanding of the technologies embodied in these structures, answers questions about stylistic changes, and allows the architecture of northern New England to be understood for the first time with a technical depth that is already available for buildings in better-studied parts of the US. Written for both homeowners and those responsible for public and museum structures, this volume provides an understanding of the region's building history even as it specifically answers questions that most often perplex architects and preservationists. By offering all custodians of northern New England buildings a richer understanding of architectural style and structure, the book encourages the use of appropriate methods and materials in building conservation and rehabilitation. Generously illustrated throughout, the book is also an essential resource for anyone who is interested in American and New England architecture and the building trades, and for anyone who has ever wondered about the secrets and stories of old buildings.

211 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

[Samuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Focusing on the buildings [primarily houses] of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine and targeting old-house owners in particular, Garvin emphasizes how historical construction techniques have shaped the appearance of building features. Thus his book takes great detail to focus on architectural details including moldings, latches, and doors in hopes of convincing people who own old homes not to capriciously replace these features with stock pieces from Home Depot. James L. Garvin is not a professor; he works as a State Architectural Historian for the state of New Hampshire and is more concerned with dealing directly with old buildings and their appearance rather than engaging in the debate about whether “style” is an “intellectual crutch” or not when discussing old buildings.

Though criticized for a title that suggests it will include more than houses and for only having 6 drawn floor plans among its 171 pages of text, it is a beautifully illustrated book with fantastic photographs, and drawings along with no-nonsense text. If you are an old-home homeowner (especially in New England) you should take a look.

[Jesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western framing, aesbestos shingles, use of lime in construction, the French invention of the wire nail all contributed to the character of this region's buildings. This book explains the difference between ovolo & ogee as well as the evolution of paint pigmentation from lead to titanium dioxide. The description of Asher Benjamin's illustrated counterbalances for double-hung windows gave me a better understanding of how & why this window style predominated over casement windows in America.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

An exhaustively researched mis-titled book! It should be called "a Brief Building History of Northern New England with Not Enough Pictures and Way Too Many Obscure Technical Terms That Are Aimed At People Who Want To Restore/Preserve Their Personal Old Houses (and an entire chapter on molding)." It was Not what I was looking for!