Historic House Blog

Published in 1979, The Framed Houses of Massachusetts Bay, 1625-1725 was a giant contribution to the study of vernacular architecture, and it remains a foundational reference work for scholars of colonial architecture in Massachusetts and beyond. Focusing on the “first period” of settlement, from roughly 1620-1720, Cummings’ excellent work is an encyclopedic and systematic evaluation of [...]

Historic houses and the Christmas season seem very compatible.  They just go together.  Both, in their own way, seem to embody tradition, nostalgia, the bonds of family, and c0ntinuity over time.  Perhaps this is why there are few things that strike me as more classical than a beautiful historic home decked out in traditional Christmas [...]

Many-a-time on our road trips between Connecticut and Ohio, we would exit I-80 to stop for gas near a small city named Sharon, just after crossing the border from Ohio into Pennsylvania.   Yet we never really drove into town, feeling we didn’t have time to casually “explore” on such a long trip.  But had I [...]

Are you a real estate agent that specializes in historic properties?  Or wants to?  Or perhaps you’re an old house enthusiast that would like to really know your architecture, and brag to all your friends as you identify the age & style of the houses in your area? The essential source for hobbyists, real estate agents, [...]