This book forms part of a four-volume work which provides an architectural analysis and evaluation of American buildings from colonial times to about 1960. Volumes 4 and 5 concentrate on buildings in the late 19th century to the 1960s.

This survey provides a unique overview of 1,000-years of architectural development.

Why did the colonial Americans give over a significant part of their homes to a grand staircase? Why did the Victorians drape their buildings ornate decoration? And why did American buildings grow so tall in the last decades of the 19th century. This book explores the history of American architecture from prehistoric times to the present, explaining why characteristic architectural forms arose at particular times and in particular places.

This book presents a collection of recent writings on architecture and urbanism in the United States, with topics ranging from colonial to contemporary times.