Buildings and landmarks of 19th-century America : American society revealed

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Title:

Buildings and landmarks of 19th-century America : American society revealed

Author:

Greene, Elizabeth B., author.

ISBN:

9781440835728

Personal Author:

Greene, Elizabeth B., author.

Physical Description:

xxviii, 323 pages ; 29 cm

Contents:

Part I. Civic architecture -- United States Capitol [Washington, DC, 1793-1960] -- White House [Washington, DC, 1800] -- University of Virginia Rotunda [Charlottesville, Virginia, 1826] -- Erie Canal [Albany, New York, to Buffalo, New York, 1825] -- Snug Harbor "Temple Row" [Staten Island, New York, 1831] -- Smithsonian Institution Building ("The Castle") [Washington, DC, 1855] -- Central Park [New York, New York, 1857] -- Richardson Olmsted Complex (former Buffalo State Hospital) [Buffalo, New York, 1870] -- Memorial Hall Centennial Exhibition [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1876] -- Iolani Palace [Honolulu, Hawaii, 1879] -- Easton Railroad Station [Easton, Massachusetts, 1881] -- Brooklyn Bridge [Brooklyn, New York, 1883] -- Statue of Liberty [New York, New York, 1886] -- Carnegie Library [Braddock, Pennsylvania, 1889] -- Hull House [Chicago, Illinois, 1856, 1889] -- World's Columbian Exhibition, Palace of Fine Arts Building, (currently Museum of Science and Industry) [Chicago, Illinois, 1893] -- Part II. Commercial architecture -- Boott Mill [Lowell, Massachusetts, 1835] -- Ford's Theatre [Washington, DC, 1863] -- Madison Square Garden [New York, New York, 1879, 1890] -- Wainwright Building [St. Louis, Missouri, 1891] -- Marshall Field Department Store [Chicago, Illinois, 1892] -- Bradbury Building [Los Angeles, California, 1893] -- Part III. Domestic architecture -- Evergreen Plantation [Wallace, Louisiana, 1832] -- Slave quarters, Evergreen Plantation [Wallace, Louisiana, ca. 1845] -- Lyndhurst [Tarrytown, New York, 1838] -- Kit Carson House [Taos, New Mexico, 1843] -- Walden Pond Cabin [Concord, Massachusetts, 1845] -- Longwood Octagon House [Natchez, Mississippi, 1859] -- Orchard Street (currently the Lower East Side Tenement Museum) [New York, NY, 1863] -- Mark Twain House [Hartford, Connecticut, 1874] -- Emlyn Physick House [Cape May, New Jersey, 1879] -- Home and Tower Buildings [Brooklyn, New York, 1879] -- Pullman Illinois Clock Tower and Administration Building [Pullman, Illinois, 1880] -- Dakota Apartments [New York, New York, 1880-1884] -- Glenmont, Thomas Edison Estate [West Orange, New Jersey, 1887] -- Frank Reed Three Decker House [Worcester, Massachusetts, 1888] -- The Breakers [Newport, Rhode Island, 1893] -- Dowse Sod House [Comstock, Nebraska, 1900] -- Part IV. Fortifications -- Fort Clatsop [Astoria, Oregon, 1805] -- Fort Sumter [Charleston, South Carolina, 1829] -- Religious and funerary architecture -- New Harmony [Harmony Township, Indiana, 1825] -- Round Stone Barn, Hancock Shaker Village [Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 1826] -- Mount Auburn Cemetery [Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1831] -- Mormon Tabernacle [Salt Lake City, Utah 1864-67] -- Trinity Church [Boston, Massachusetts, 1877].

Subject Term:

Architecture -- United States -- History -- 19th century.

Historic buildings -- United States -- History -- 19th century.

Architecture and society -- United States -- History -- 19th century.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
Searching... Sugar Grove - Todd Library	Book	NA710 .G74 2017	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

An invaluable resource for readers interested in architecture and design that demonstrates how the construction, form, and function of key structures in the 19th-century influenced American social, political, economic, and intellectual life.

America has always been a nation of thinkers, believers, creators, and builders. Evidence of this is plentiful among the landmarks constructed in the 19th century. Buildings and Landmarks of 19th-Century America: American Society Revealed examines many examples that include homes, office buildings, recreational spaces, military sites, religious buildings, and other landmarks in a variety of geographical locations, discussing the background, architecture, and cultural significance of each. Each engaging, accessible entry not only provides readers detailed information about how the landmark relates to what was going on in American society at the time of its construction but also sparks the reader's interest to research the subject further.

As examples, consider that a rural cemetery built in Massachusetts in the early 19th century was the prime influence on public park design and led to the construction of New York's Central Park and many other public parks since. The millionaire industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie built many of the first free public libraries in the country, which led to the development of municipal public library systems. The huge success of 19th-century world's fairs, like the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition, had lasting effects on society through the many new products that they introduced to the public. Throughout the book, landmarks are analyzed to elucidate their influence on many aspects of 19th-century society, including the treatment of the mentally ill, impact of religious revivals, growth of leisure and vacation time, and housing for the poor and the western homesteader, among many others.

In the "How to Evaluate Buildings and Structures" section, readers are prompted to consider questions such as "What specific purposes did the building or structure have?" "When was it constructed, and what were the circumstances?" and "What was the need it addressed?" Students will learn about the period while also developing the skills of observation and assessment needed to analyze these landmarks and draw meaningful conclusions from them about their context and significance. The discussion of each landmark serves to help readers with these elements of critical thinking, assessment, and analysis.

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

The U.S. was transformed greatly over the course of the nineteenth century due to factors such as territorial expansion, industrialization, and immigration. Interior-designer Greene details the changing face of America through the architectural lens of its buildings and landmarks from the 1800s. Each entry includes an introduction, description, key statistics, and an explanation of significance. Subjects range from the Statue of Liberty to the Erie Canal to Vanderbilt's Breakers. Greene's examination of 45 buildings and landmarks provides an interesting angle for viewing nineteenth-century American history. A larger supply of images (one per entry is included), preferably in color, would have been beneficial. Nonetheless, this book is well suited for undergraduate students and general readers interested in U.S. history and architecture.--Frutchey, Jim Copyright 2017 Booklist

Choice Review

A selection of 45 iconic landmarks and buildings provides the foundation for readers to enrich their understanding of the significance of historical and social events of the 19th century; by its end, the US stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The Industrial Revolution and immigrants caused city populations to increase rapidly. Reformers and philanthropists worked to improve the lot of the urban poor, including Andrew Carnegie, who built many free public libraries. The Chicago Fire, 1876 Centennial Exhibition, and 1893 World's Columbian Exposition had lasting effects on city planning and architecture. Discussed in chronological order by Greene (College of Staten Island) are civic, commercial, domestic, religious, and funerary architecture, alongside fortifications. Each entry includes a black-and-white image, an introduction, a description, the entry's significance, key statistics, and a short bibliography. The introduction and chronology sections provide an overview of events. The "How to Evaluate Buildings and Structures" section includes a particularly helpful, short bibliography. A glossary, detailed index, and selective bibliography are also included. Color images would have greatly improved the appeal and usefulness of the volume, but despite their absence, it offers a fine starting point for research by beginning students of architecture or social history. Summing Up: Highly recommended. High school through lower-level undergraduate students; general readers. --Nancy J. Mactague, Aurora University