Historic House Blog

Georgian architecture was the dominant style of 18th century America.  This style is called Georgian because it was dominant from approximately the reign of King George I who ascended the throne in 1711, until the end of the American Revolution (King George III).  By the early 1700s, English colonies in America were a bit more [...]

This one is, well,  just a tad unique.  In 1976, a black couple — Donald & Thelma Smith — bought a beautiful mansion (circa 1912) in the historic Hill District of Pittsburgh.  While doing some renovations a few years later, some exterior wood was removed from the facade to reveal — surprise, surprise — a [...]

I really like Marshall, Michigan. I’ve only been there once, and that one visit was only a few weeks ago.  However, I am smitten.  I had long been looking forward to visiting Marshall (well, “long” being since March 2009), when I bought an old copy of Mabel Cooper-Skjelver’s Nineteenth Century Homes of Marshall, Michigan (see left).  Flipping through musty pages of old black and [...]

In an upscale neighborhood in Atlanta, a man named Ruben Jones recently purchased the “Henry B. Tompkins House” (asking price $2 million) and among the renovations, he painted his 1922 Georgian Revival home.  No problem, right?  Except that he painted it ORANGE . . . a far cry from the original GRAY stucco, which, for 88 years, [...]

Sandra Bullock has joined a growing list of celebs who have purchased historic homes, as she begins her new life after Jesse James by purchasing a Gothic Victorian in the “Garden District” of New Orleans. 

When I received my latest e-newsletter from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, I was pleased to find an interesting interview with Charles Drayton, which  made me recall my own visit to historic Drayton Hall in 2007.   [Click here to read that National Trust article]. If you’ve never been, Drayton Hall is a stunning, circa 1742 plantation house outside [...]

In America, the Greek Revival style was sometimes called the “National Style” because it was so dominant and widespread through all parts of the nation. Archaeological discoveries in Rome and Greece fueled renewed interest in Classical architecture initially during the Federal Period. This interest peaked because of 4 factors during the 1820s: 1) The War [...]

The long-awaited restoration of Flushing’s historic Bowne House could be completed by 2012 after the city acquired the property last week, making it the 23rd home of its kind to join the city’s Historic House Trust.  Described as “the best-preserved example of Anglo-Dutch vernacular residential architecture in the country,” the house still sits on its [...]

This one caught my eye right away . . . what curb appeal!  If you love the charm, character and mystique of the 18th century, but still want all the upscale amenities and convenience of a modern lifestyle, then 3314 Saw Mill will not disappoint! 

I photographed this house several years ago, but unfortunately, I cannot claim the above as one as my own photos.  A few days after my visit, I was contacted by the owner who sent me her own photos of her house.  The above photograph is one of hers, and it is one of my favorite old house pictures, for [...]