Queen Anne or Victorian, these beautiful houses have become nostalgic sites in our historical memory. Linda Smeins explores the development of pattern-book houses, considered the new "modern suburban home" of the late 19th century. Through a discussion of pattern-book designs and plans and pattern-book-inspired houses, Smeins traces the evolution of this architectural style and explores the meanings embodied in the notion of home and community. Building an American Identity is an excellent resource for architectural historians, historic preservations, educators and anyone interested in the social history behind the building of America's Victorian homes.

chapter 1 List of Figures chapter 2 Acknowledgments chapter 3 Introductions chapter 4 1 National Identity and an American Style of Architecture chapter 5 2 A House in Civilized Nature chapter 6 3 Building America with Pattern Books Houses chapter 7 4 True Americans Own Homes chapter 8 5 The American Architect and Categories in the Profession chapter 9 6 Defining the Modern House: Seeds of Disagreement, 1876-1881 chapter 10 7 The Modern Suburban House Holds Its Own chapter 11 Epilogue chapter 12 Bibliography chapter 13 Index chapter 14 About the Author