The Hand of the Small Town Builder

This is a pictorial and richly documented history of classic New England architecture Northern New England in the late 19th-century saw an explosion of "new home construction." The railroads had opened up the mountains to tourists while steamers regularly plied the coast. Families, both rich and poor, were eager to spend time in small villages where, close to nature, they would enjoy the blessings of a healthy climate. Middle-class families could afford to build homes, and since their budgets precluded "named" architects, the need was answered by local builders, talented craftsmen familiar with the local resources, who could draw the basic lines, muster and supervise a building crew, and meet the needs of clients. The houses they built were sensitive to the local topography and connected to the landscape as masterpieces of vernacular design. Far more than a pictorial record, here is a scholarly and richly documented survey of master craftsmen whose subtle but powerful influence on the New England landscape is poignantly recorded in these pages.