Great Georgian Houses of America, Vol. 1

by Architects' Emergency Committee

Volume 1 of a unique set of books containing close to 500 illustrations of facades, floor-plans, interiors and decorative details from 77 of America’s most beautiful homes representing the extraordinarily rich Georgian era (1714-1830). All characteristics of major styles from New England to the Carolinas.

Genres: Construction

264 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1970

Reviews

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-sourced, clear book displaying the wide variety in styles, materials, and approaches to the Georgian Style in the late 18th century. The images cover much of the architectural details - the floor plans, the exteriors, and many details. It doesn't waste its time with Georgian artistry outside of architecture - no random discussions of furniture or spoons. The images create an interesting juxtaposition which encourages the reader to consider basic questions (which buildings are my favorites? what layouts seem the most annoying to actually live in) as well as more artistry-driven ones (how does the use of stucco on exterior brick walls impact the visual character of the house? do I prefer the Jeffersonian roof and balustrade or the "common sense" pitched roof?). The buildings are organized geographically, beginning in the south and moving northward. This makes the regional styles more apparent and easier to discern.

I was disappointed by the introductory essay and the scarce commentary throughout the images. In all fairness, it is possible that the book is designed more as a casual read for already-educated architects or architectural historians, and therefore they didn't need extensive descriptions or analyses. Yet still, I wish that the book did more to interpret the beautiful images contained within. The book would have certainly merited four stars had it done more to contextualize the material it collated. That being said, the introductory essay did help me understand the relationship between early American architects and English architectural design firms. It also strengthened the understanding established in Chernow's Washington regarding the design and construction process for colonial-era mansions. I would be very interested in a book of this exact type focused on urban infrastructure and low-cost dwellings in the same period. Though I recognize that it is one of the goals of Georgian architecture, I felt like most of these structures are overly-extravagant. I'd love to have my view of the style and period fleshed out a little bit more.

Overall, a good book to read and one that challenged me to use my growing (but still amateur) architectural vocabulary. It's certainly one you could flip through like a coffee table book, but I think it's worth it to spend a week slowly going through it and thinking critically about the plans inside. I would only recommend this to people very interested in Georgian architecture.