American Country Houses of the Gilded Age

by Arnold Lewis, George William Sheldon (Photographer)

The "Gilded Age," the three decades following the Civil War, were years of astounding economic growth. Vast empires in oil, shipping, mining, banking, lumber, transportation, and related industries were formed. It was an era in which fortunes were made and lost quickly, almost easily; a period that encouraged ― nearly demanded ― the public display of this newly acquired wealth, power, and prestige. It was during these heady, turbulent years that a new type of domestic architecture first appeared on the American landscape. Called the "country seat" or "cottage," these houses were grandiose in scale ― imposing facades complemented by manicured gardens, with exceptionally large and impressive reception rooms, halls, parlors, dining rooms, and other public areas. Intended exclusively for the very well-to-do, these buildings were designed by some of the finest and most influential architectural firms in McKim, Mead & White; Bruce Price; Peabody & Stearns; Theophilus P. Chandler, Jr.; Lamb & Rich; Wilcox & Johnston; and many others.
The first, best, and most exquisite documentation of this surge of architectural creativity was the 1886–87 publication of George William Sheldon's Artistic Types of Recent American Villa and Cottage Architecture with Instances of Country-Club Houses. It presented exceedingly fine photographs, clearly detailed plans and elevations, as well as Sheldon's own commentary for a total of 97 buildings (93 houses and 4 casinos). Most structures were located in new England and the Middle Atlantic states, and embraced the full spectrum of architectural and artistic expressions. This present volume reproduces all of Sheldon's fascinating and historically important photographs and plans, and adds a new, thoroughly accurate text by Arnold Lewis (Professor of Art, the College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio) that includes the most useful information supplied by Sheldon and also reports on the present condition of each house or casino, providing analyses of elevations and plans, observations about family life in the 1880s, and brief biographical comments about the clients and architects.
Sheldon's photographs connect us with a time and style of living that today increasingly seem more the realm of fiction than fact. Yet, in the pages of this important collection, they are brought fresh to life as they appeared when they were new and times were very different.

Genres: Architecture, History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1982

Reviews

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute delight! Arnold Lewis' American Country Houses of the Gilded Age is such a fascinating book. What a thrill for me to see my home state well represented and even my hometown
had two "cottages" in this book. These "cottages" were built during the decade of the 1880s and one architectural firm I noticed immediately that was involved in building some of these "summer cottages" was McKee, Mead, & White as in Stanford White. This firm built "the casino" which was and is a tennis club in my hometown, The Racquets Club. Until February 1978 the original design by McKee, Mead, & White, was a major part of my hometown, and I used to drive by The Racquets Club
almost every day. There was a fire in February 1978, but the building was not a complete loss at all, and the members began rebuilding the section that damaged right away. The Racquets Club continues to play an important role in my hometown now in 2017, and I am sure it will continue to do so for a very long time. At least I hope it will. Being a part of history I find to be quite exciting! I enjoy architecture and history, and the book is perfect for me and for people such as I who enjoy these two subjects! Well done and highly recommended!!