| Buildings of Delaware (Buildings of the United States) | 
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Sales Rank: 116154
Category: Book
Author: W. Barksdale Maynard
Publisher: University of Virginia Press
Studio: University of Virginia Press
Manufacturer: University of Virginia Press
Label: University of Virginia Press
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 11.2 x 7.2 x 1.2
ISBN: 0813927021
Dewey Decimal Number: 720.9751
EAN: 9780813927022
ASIN: 0813927021
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
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Product Description
The latest volume in the Society of Architectural Historians' prestigious Buildings of the United States series, Buildings of Delaware is the first book to document the state's architectural history from all periods. Extensively illustrated with photographs and maps, and supplemented by a glossary and bibliography, the volume covers buildings of many styles, types, and materials, from grand mansions to vernacular structures, and from urban to rural settings. The noted architectural historian W. Barksdale Maynard spent much of 2002 through 2004 canvassing the rich cultural heritage of the state and investigating its relationship to the built environment--from an ancient Dutch dyke of 1660 to a cutting-edge cable-stay bridge recently completed, from colonial smokehouses in the countryside of Kent County to a rare, intact, International Style 1940s elementary school in the city of Wilmington. Among the architectural forms discussed are industrial and agricultural buildings and structures that characterize the state's rivers, canals, and shoreline, from gristmills to bridges and lighthouses. Major cities such as Newark and Wilmington are considered at length, with entries on homes, churches, schools, and government buildings, and the state's natural landscape, parks, and such renowned gardens as Winterthur are also described. Buildings of Delaware will provide scholars with valuable information on the architecture of the state, and will spark the imagination of general readers and local historians as well.A volume in the Buildings of the United States series of the Society of Architectural Historians
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| Customer Reviews:
houses of Delaware review June 27, 2008
This book is really well done, it covers all sorts of houses and buildings all over the state of Delaware
Different publisher, same outstanding quality April 25, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
After a several year hiatus, and a shift from Oxford University Press to the University of Virginia Press, Buildings of the United States returns with this fine entry.
The books in this series are expensive, and let me tell you why. First, they're written by top experts in this particular field, for the use of architectural historians for reference and research. The amount of work that goes into writing and publishing one of these books is enormous, so the prices reflect that fact. Let me be the first to tell you, however, that any of the books in the series, and this one in particular, are endlessly fascinating for serious amateurs as well. That's why I've shelled out the money for more than a few of them. Architecture guides just don't get any better. This series sets the standard.
Little Delaware is like a diamond (to quote Lofland), and art historian W. Barksdale Maynard has compiled a superb collection of important historic and modern sites for this book. Wilmington, Newark, New Castle and Dover all get the extended treatment you would expect, but the author also brings us comprehensive coverage of smaller towns and the rural landscape. There are 450 well-chosen entries here, all supported by interesting brief essays. There are about 250 small monochrome photographs that are adequate but not distinguished, mostly borrowed from other sources. The photography is pragmatic rather than artistic. The author introduces each district and town with a brief descriptive abstract, which includes reference to some of the important structures to which he does not dedicate a specific entry. This is a nice device for expanding the comprehensiveness of the survey. Trust me, you're favorites are here! For those of you who like age, Delaware contains some of the most ancient examples of European-American architecture in the original 13 states. Newark has probably endured the most destruction of its original colonial fabric of all Delaware towns, but there are many more examples across the state. And while Newark has suffered through haphazard development, it contains one of the loveliest public spaces in the country at the University of Delaware.
Keep in mind that this is a selective survey. Wilmington alone has a building stock to support a survey of over 1,000 buildings, so respect and appreciate the author's keen eye for what he believes we will enjoy. He's done a lovely job of selecting important and interesting sites for all tastes.
A true rarity for a book like this, the introductory essay is excellent, and a feature in itself. Don't just flip past it to get to the catalog. Maynard gives us an historical overview, a discussion of the geography and landscape, a description of the built environment, and an overview of important architects working in Delaware.
All this good stuff is framed by sidebars spaced throughout the text on important topics such as the du Pont family and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
Well constructed in cloth and nice thick-stock paper by UVA Press, this book is proof that the Society of Architectural Historians remains dedicated to this important series.
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