Exploring the pre-Civil War architecture of the 19th century in Volume 2, Pierson traces the evolution of two distinct styles--the "corporate," first seen in the chaste, brick buildings of early Boston, and the "early Gothic Revival," which brought new vitality to American religious and domestic architecture--in the works of Ithiel Town, Richard Upjohn, James Renwick, A.J. Davis, and Andrew Jackson Downing.

Beginning with a description of Gothic, Classical, and Baroque architecture, Pierson explores how American architects used these traditions to develop a uniquely American style. He examines the works of the early masters, including Bulfinch's Massachusetts State House, Latrobe's Capitol Building in Washington, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Mills's buildings in South Carolina, as well as Thomas Jefferson's house in Monticello, which represents the clearest expression of the new American architectural vision.

Visual presentation of the many types of houses built in America from the earliest Indian dwellings to designs for futuristic homes.

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.

Exploring the pre-Civil War architecture of the 19th century in Volume 2, Pierson traces the evolution of two distinct styles--the "corporate," first seen in the chaste, brick buildings of early Boston, and the "early Gothic Revival," which brought new vitality to American religious and domestic architecture--in the works of Ithiel Town, Richard Upjohn, James Renwick, A.J. Davis, and Andrew Jackson Downing.