Good book to read about the history of navigation, Longitude, the True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time. Author, Dava Sobel. Her article from which the book arose was cover article of Harvard Magazine for March/April 1994, http://harvardmagazine.com/sites/default/files/longitude.pdf
tac Foley said:
Dan, how is Victorian architecture a genuine part of American culture? Of CANADIAN culture, sure, but you guys threw off the ‘yoke of tyranny’ and all that it entailed when you became independent. right?
Just askin’.
tac
Ottawa Valley GRS
The US Navy started as a carbon copy of the Royal Navy, and even today, the two differ only in the smallest detail. Even our uniforms are similar. I suppose that form follows function, there. We may have thrown off a yoke, but we kept the good stuff.
Forrest Scott Wood said:
Good book to read about the history of navigation, Longitude, the True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time. Author, Dava Sobel. Her article from which the book arose was cover article of Harvard Magazine for March/April 1994, http://harvardmagazine.com/sites/default/files/longitude.pdf
Downloaded it. looks very interesting. I will have to read it when I get a spare moment.
I studied the style as part of my profession but I prefer modernism.
I have a good book of Victorian floor plans and drawings I should send you. If I track it down I’ll contact you.
I love Victorian architecture. I used to skip sunday school and walk around town admiring all of the fine examples we had in Oil City. I’m hoping that we might be able to find a gem when we make our move this year. I think it’s the steep roof lines and multiple gables that do it for me. Although, I certainly love all the gingerbread and detailing too.
Randy Lehrian Jr. said:
I used to skip sunday school and walk around town admiring all of the fine examples we had in Oil City.
I love Oil City as well.
You should not have skipped Sunday school though.
We have a lot of Victorian styles houses in my area, some very old ones that have been preserved. When are you going to visit so I can show you them.
Shawn Viggiano said:
We have a lot of Victorian styles houses in my area, some very old ones that have been preserved. When are you going to visit so I can show you them.
When are you going to visit so I can show you a very old one that has been preserved?
Wait that isn’t preserved that’s new made to look old (except the draperies,curio,table and 150yr+ brick firewall). All the materials were found at Lowes and Home Depot on the cheap next to the “outdoor RR” section!
(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Found them doors in Scranton Shawn!
Just saw this thread, and thought I would add a great book about this topic is
“A Field Guide to North American Houses” by Virginia and Lee McAlester. Pretty thick book (500 pages), but it covers in good detail the different styles and periods of change. If I stop teaching, I would look for a job in historical preservation…
Craig Townsend said:
Just saw this thread, and thought I would add a great book about this topic is
“A Field Guide to North American Houses” by Virginia and Lee McAlester. Pretty thick book (500 pages), but it covers in good detail the different styles and periods of change. If I stop teaching, I would look for a job in historical preservation…
Too late Craig…I’m already balls deep and beyond books . Would love to know what the window cornice ornamentation was, thinking flat and angled just for shadows and paint lines, Have paint lines to follow on the main upper level corbels and cornice.
But thank you !
David Russell said:
Craig Townsend said:
Just saw this thread, and thought I would add a great book about this topic is
“A Field Guide to North American Houses” by Virginia and Lee McAlester. Pretty thick book (500 pages), but it covers in good detail the different styles and periods of change. If I stop teaching, I would look for a job in historical preservation…
Too late Craig…I’m already balls deep and beyond books . Would love to know what the window cornice ornamentation was, thinking flat and angled just for shadows and paint lines, Have paint lines to follow on the main upper level corbels and cornice.
But thank you !
When and what style is your house? I can see if I have anything in the book that might help. Edit: Looks like a Queen Anne… Date?
1852 so I call it stick style. I have a pile of books and internet resources. Found A lot of interesting things about the old box.
Wow David, I didn’t realize you had done that much work on the place. Bravo. I saw what I think is a pretty current picture of the front of your place a while back in one of your threads and was impressed. Now I’m more impressed. Too many people don’t take the time or effort to fix/restore these old houses correctly. Nice work.
For the record, I was only ever struck by lightning once while skipping sunday school…
David Russell said:
1852 so I call it stick style. I have a pile of books and internet resources. Found A lot of interesting things about the old box.
1852 sound a bit early for even stick, but your right it does have a lot of the similar styles, and doesn’t quite fit into the prior period.
Ever check out the Sanborn Fire Maps for your city to see if your house is listed?
Craig
No I haven’t but the 1857 drawn map of town shows it with the turret drawn so that’s as far as I went. But found a LOT of neat history on the homes owner that had it built and some makes sense some does not. One opportunity I missed out on was a previous owner passed away 2yrs ago at 101 yrs old.
His friend contacted me after his death with a a lot of information and asked if the house still had the beautiful gas lights…I about 
and politely said nope.
Enhanced pic taken just before mom and dad called Sears to have it sided (only owned within my family 50yrs). Yankee wood gutters are still there with the cornice molding and corbels. ! Mom and dad only wanted a solid home to raise the kids not a pretty one but a solid one. I understand that now and trying to correct mistakes from the day she was built!
Edit: cause my first dog (a black lab…mutt) is standing behind the Rocco Revival iron fence . When that was taken the gaslights were already gone,trashed,sold by the previous owner. Mom wanted to keep…ahhh never mind.
Double edit: because I forgot to mention that the “reverse board and batten” I replicated on the turret was going on this image until I later discovered it was actually done with 6" clapboard. Shadows and lines in all white from the towns "painter and wallpaper’er " in 1852. White was polluted with lead “back in the day” in the hood.
Randy Lehrian Jr. said:
Wow David, I didn’t realize you had done that much work on the place.
Randy,
I had to as it’s the only home I know! Don’t make me dig out my Christmas Tree 4x8 sheet of plywood layout on saw horses when I was like 2yrs old pics. It’s Lionel and Shawn is stressed out enough already!
