Histoury

04/02/2025

Happy Birthday to Rosa Parks, born this day in 1913! Revisit learning about this amazing American and her legacy through the buildings connected with her story.
National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/places-of-rosa-parks.htm
EHerg: https://www.eherg.com/blog/rosa-parks-detroit-residences

And another interesting piece, about one of her Detroit homes that wound up in Europe!: https://thebatesstudent.com/25581/news/the-rosa-parks-house-at-home-in-berlin-a-talk-by-kristin-kopp-ph-d/

Some of these places unfortunately have not survived. Others have, and some are open to the public!

18/01/2025

Last month we posted our first bit of info about Sears kit houses, asking you to pick your favorite and learn a bit about this phenomenon in American history...here is our second installment about one of our favorite architectural trends! Don't forget to weigh in on your which one of these gems speaks more to you…

First a quick fun “fact”: Legend has it that part of the marketing genius of Sears was to make their catalogs slightly shorter than their competitors. The housewife tidying her home would naturally put the smallest catalog neatly on top of her stack.

Back to the houses…Before Sears and similar companies were offering their kit houses, if you wanted to own your own home what were your options? Of course there were some homes already built that might be for sale, but as the population continued to increase rapidly in the early 20th century this certainly wasn't an easy option. If you could afford it - and most couldn't - you could hire an architect to design your home and then a contractor to build it. Another option was to buy a set of house plans from a number of catalogs that had been popular for a couple of decades or so - these weren't too expensive and certainly much cheaper than hiring an architect to design from scratch - but then you still had to find a contractor who could bring that to life.

Well that second option doesn't sound too bad, plus you could pick from hundreds of house plans on the market - it wasn't difficult to find one that suited your tastes, wants, and needs. So what made the kit house so appealing?

One reason, COST - Sears advertised "You know exactly what the material will cost. This means you will not be compelled to spend more than what you had originally figured on." In other words, a contractor is probably going to do their initial math wrong, also unforeseen needs will come up. Sears also pointed out that you will probably pay for pieces of lumber that are longer than what you need (piles of scraps, and other leftover material is your money wasted), and who knows if your contractor has put their own surcharge on the cost of materials?

More reasons to come!

16/01/2025

Happy 100th Birthday to the Glebe House Museum! A century ago, this beautiful colonial in Woodbury, CT, opened its doors to the public, making it one of the country's first historic house museums - can you believe that it was almost demolished?!?

Historic house museums like Glebe House Museum & The Gertrude Jekyll Garden play an important role in preserving history and culture for everyone to enjoy and benefit from.

Help them survive and thrive - add visiting a few to your 2025 resolutions! June 27th would be a great time to go to Glebe for their Cheers to 100 Years celebration...



Image: a vintage postcard of Glebe House

08/01/2025

Happy 100th Birthday to the Pink House!
An icon of Newburyport and Plum Island, MA, this 1925 Foursquare-style house has been a landmark of the North Shore for a century - but today it's under threat of demolition...
Interestingly, the home's history began amidst a troubled marriage, but we hope its future is much brighter! So do many others - check out the major grassroots effort of Support The Pink House Inc to learn how you can get involved.



Image: Sandy Tilton

11/12/2024

PICK YOUR SEARS KIT HOUSE!

Have some fun looking at these delightfully vintage images and reading the delightfully vintage descriptions that went with them.
LET US KNOW WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE!

While Sears, Roebuck and Co. wasn't the only company making kit houses, they are arguably the most well-known today.
Like putting together an Ikea bookshelf, your Sears house kit came with pre-cut and labeled lumber so that you could "easily" build your home yourself!
Sears started producing kit houses in 1908 (early on the lumber in the kits was not pre-cut). Available until 1942, the company claimed that upwards of 100,000 American houses were built from their kits! Unfortunately Sears disposed of their house kit sales records, but tens of thousands have been identified in recent years by enthusiasts.

While these houses total a very small percentage of homes in the country, learning more about the context of the time shows that they represent an important chapter in American architecture.

Stay tuned for more Sears Kit House posts, including more polls and facts!

02/12/2024

Love Midcentury Modern homes? Here is a chance to save - and LIVE IN - a Harvard Five home in Westchester!

Before the iconic Glass House, Philip Johnson designed the Booth House in Bedford, tucked along Pound Ridge Road and on the market...

Photographs: Robert Damora

11/11/2024

LAST CALL FOR FALL! Just a few spots left...
Join us for our last fall tour this weekend in Wilton!

Step OFF our tour bus and INSIDE several colonial homes, and learn about a lot more along the way...we will be talking about:

-Colonial architecture (Georgian, Federal, Saltbox, and Capes!)
-Historic Wilton scandals
-The Brooklyn Bridge and Tiffany & Co.
-Notable colonial residents and the many interesting people that lived in these homes over the generations
AND MUCH MORE!

This is our third time touring Wilton, but EACH TOUR IS UNIQUE. We hope to share this one-time-only experience with you!

Book your reservation on one of our many New York and New England architectural history tours today! Bus tours of historic homes, walking tours coming soon!

11/11/2024

Southern Westchester in the Roaring Twenties was booming with development - lots of new en vogue, estate-like homes and fashionable, high-style rowhouse and apartment complexes. At the end of the day, Manhattan commuters could escape the hustle of the city and a short train or car ride later be back in their quiet village of Bronxville.
We had a fun afternoon exploring those homes and discussing the interesting people and stories related to them. This included prominent architects like Lewis Bowman and Penrose Stout, the Mott (apple juice!) family, WWI veterans, and the Spinsters of Bronxville!
We were also generously welcomed into 1920s Tudor Revival homes along the way to delight in the architecture and rich craftsmanship that make that style so enjoyable...our huge thanks to each of those homeowners!

11/11/2024

Our tour of Wenham and Topsfield, Massachusetts, was a great experience of Essex County heritage! Dotting the pastoral landscape of these towns are many historic buildings, including the 18th- and 19th-century homes that were the focus of our tour that day...
As we made our way through the winding country roads we saw and discussed homes that once belonged to many of the people once associated with the shoe industry, that were part of the 20th century wave of seasonal residents that turned older farms into generous country estates, and many other interesting people and stories from these two towns.
Thank you to all of the homeowners who generously opened their doors for us that day, giving us the unique chance to experience their homes and their historic details and fresh updates that define our way of living today! And a special experience that included hundreds of historic artifacts carefully displayed in a restored barn!

11/11/2024

Thank you to the homeowners and Old South Presbyterian Church for welcoming us through their doors during a fun tour of Newburyport's colonial architecture!
We walked along several downtown streets to see a great variety of buildings and discuss interesting people from the city's history and facets of colonial life.
Jerry Mullins gave a great presentation of Old South Presbyterian Church, including its remarkable tromp l'oeil and important position in Revolutionary history - and gave us the chance to ring its genuine Paul Revere bell!

10/10/2024

Join us November 16th for the unique chance to visit several historic home interiors, including at the homes seen here, and see and learn about a lot more along the way on our bus tour of colonial Wilton!

One-time-only. Space is limited.
Register at www.histoury.org

AIA members will earn 4 CE credits!

10/10/2024

Join us October 26th for the unique chance to visit several historic Bronxville home interiors, including the one seen here, and see and learn about a lot more along the way on our bus tour of 1920's architecture!

One-time-only. Space is limited.
Register at www.histoury.org

24/09/2024

Visit several historic home interiors on our bus tour, and see and learn about many more buildings and their histories along the way! Special interior stops include the Daniel Towne House, the Andrew Dodge House, the Samuel Rogers House, and beautiful historic barns - BONUS: beautiful farm animals and vistas will be at this property too!

ANOTHER FUN BONUS: at one of our stops you will get the chance to see a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence; a 1911 Model T Touring Car; and hundreds of unique artifacts and historic prints from America's wars, its suffrage movement, and more!

The towns of Wenham and Topsfield for much of the 19th century were still very much characterized by agriculture. But a new turnpike, the railroad, and the Civil War created new opportunities. Many buildings and architectural characteristics from this special period have been preserved in Wenham and Topsfield.

Join us to tour a great collection of these historic homes!

This is a one-time-only event, space is limited.

The bus start/stop location will be at the MA Park N' Ride lot at 16 Park St., Topsfield, MA.

23/09/2024

Thanks to everyone who came out to tour Norwich with us this weekend! The city has a delightful variety of 18th- and 19th-century architecture to explore. We saw homes that belonged to interesting historic figures including successful industrialists, high-ranking politicians, and renowned authors as well as homes belonging to important fixtures in the local community such as physicians, grocery store owners, and newspaper managers.

We were generously invited into several of these historic homes, and we are so thankful to those gracious homeowners for the delightful and meaningful experience! Our thanks also to The Norwich Historical Society - CT, Preservation Connecticut, and AIA Connecticut!

11/09/2024

FLASH SALE - GOOD THROUGH SATURDAY
Use code 1776 for $17.76 off your ticket!

Visit several historic home interiors on our bus tour, and see and learn about many more buildings and their histories along the way!

September 21st, one time only, space is limited. Go to www.histoury.org to register.

Photos in this post preview some of the special interior stops we will make, including three Colonial-era homes, the Trumbull - Carew House, Sarah Knight Tavern, and the Colonel Joshua Huntington House; the Greek Revival Dr. Elijah Dyer House, and the Victorian-era Leonard Ballou House!

Join us to tour a great collection of these well-preserved, historic buildings!

AIA members: This tour is approved for 4 AIA CE Learning Units! Participation will be submitted through AIA Connecticut.

The tour will start and stop at the The Norwich Historical Society - CT, 69 East Town Street, Norwich, CT (street parking available). Please arrive at 12:45 for check-in, stop by a little earlier to enjoy the Society's historic schoolhouse!

11/09/2024

Some highlights from our 2024 Artists, Authors, and Actors Tour in Redding, CT. The historic homes on this tour were the residences of many of the notables that once lived in the town, including Daniel Carter Beard, illustrator for Mark Twain; Isabel Lyon, Twain's long-time secretary; composer Leonard Bernstein; actress Carmen Mathews; and the Colonel Aaron Barlow House, said to be where his poet brother, Joel Barlow, wrote the widely acclaimed "The Vision of Columbus."

Huge thanks to the homeowners who graciously welcomed US, including artist Susan Boone Durkee (who painted the portraits of Twain seen in this post) and the Taylors at New Pond Farm Education Center!