Tudor Style: Tudor Revival Houses in America from 1890 to the Present

by Lee Goff

The Tudor house is one of America's keystones-- a type of home that has attracted homeowners for more than a century. Its basic elements-- the steep gabled roofs, mullioned windows made of leaded glass, and half-timbering-- are instantly recognizable and iconic. Tudor Style showcases the wide variety of Tudor homes and how American Tudor style differs from their English counterparts.

Renowned photographer Paul Rocheleau and architectural historian Lee Goff have traveled across the United States, from the suburbs of metropolitan New York to Lake Forest, Illinois, from St. Louis to Los Angeles, capturing the unique Tudor styles each geographic location offers. The Tudors featured in the book range from modest homes to grand estates, making this a perfectly accessible book for all Tudor homeowners and aficionados. In addition to displaying the architectural structures of these buildings, Goff examined the history of these houses, why they became so popular in the United States, and what their appeal is today.

The first book ever on this wildly popular style, Tudor Style will delight architecture enthusiasts who have been desperately waiting for a book on this favorite architectural style.

Genres: Nonfiction, Architecture, Reference, Design, Art

208 pages, Hardcover

First published November 23, 2002

About the author

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Reviews

[Orsolya · Rating 2 out of 5]

My love for all things Tudor extends to Tudor-style architecture. So much so, that after college I spent some time living in a neighborhood with all Tudor-style homes, apartments, and manors (including the dwelling I personally lived in). This neighborhood is featured in “Tudor Style”, a coffee table art-architecture work compiled by Lee Goff (Photography by Paul Rocheleau).

“Tudor Style” is an oversize full-size coffee table book with sharp, full-size colored photographs of Tudor revival homes. Goff divides the presentation into regions in order to show the local influence on the architecture (such as local materials, climate conditions, demographics, and architectural firms) and the advancement of the movement overall; making “Tudor Style” smooth and cohesive versus a simple photography collage.

Goff begins with an introduction into the beginnings of Tudor architecture during the actual Tudor times and moves into the explanation of the revival in both England and in the United States. This admittedly is not well written (too simplified), is repetitive, and only quotes other writers on the topic. Basically, “Tudor Style”is dull (even with a few hearty facts here and there) and results in the reader growing antsy for the photographs. As “Tudor Style” progresses to focus on each region, Goff details the Tudor development in each locale including the developmental history and architects/designers responsible. However, this information is also repetitive within the text (similar to the introduction).

Each section features photos of home exteriors (and some interior shots) which will suitably satisfy lovers of this architectural style. The negative issue lies with Goff’s seemingly lack of architectural training as his descriptions include errors. Plus the photos (from a photographer’s standpoint); are mediocre in terms of angles, shadows, composition, lighting, etc.

One of the only positives of “Tudor Style” is that the text describing each photo concludes on the corresponding page. Some coffee table books have descriptions which run onto the next page and the reader is left flipping back-and-forth.

The wrap-up of “Tudor Style” is creative in its concept of discussing the current state of Tudor revival architecture but sadly, Goff doesn’t dive into detail nor fully elaborate even on the main idea. This is abrupt and the book just suddenly “ends”.

“Tudor Style” is an ‘okay’ book to glance through if interested in the topic (or if you know homes listed on the pages like I do); but one will not truly learn about the subject or impress all who pick up the book from your coffee table. “Tudor Style” is subjective in its level of enjoyment.

[Cole Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could give this 3 1/2 stars. First of all, I was so excited to find that a book with this topic existed (online via search). I live in a Tudor Revival home built in 1927. I learned some basics about the topic but I still am hungry for more information. I enjoyed learning about the "hot areas" in the United Sate for Tudor home development in the early 1900s which surprisingly included my own neighborhood. It was particularly surprising because although I live in one, I don't see many others and didn't realize the Cotswold style homes made of Wissahickon Schist that are much more common in my neighborhood are considered the Philadelphia "version" of Tudor Revival. I liked hearing about the architects of the heyday and the regional variations on the Tudor Revival style in the US. I found it interesting (and saddened me) that the author surmised that the Tudor Revival style gained popularity as a statement of the upper class Americans of the time to harken back to "the old country" and set themselves apart from recent immigrants. I suggest to anyone who lives in a Tudor Revival style home and wants to learn more about the architectural style and it's origins.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good photos and so-so text, with a few jarring typos (sorry, can't help myself).

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

too many exteriors of very similar tudors without interesting landscaping, too few interiors, but valuable nonetheless

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book on the Tudor style architecture in America.

[Bettie]

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