Where We Lived: Discovering the Places We Once Called Home

by Jack Larkin

The past has left behind only scattered clues that, on their own, provide little insight into how the people of early America lived and the details of their daily lives. The photographs in this book, the deeply informed narrative that accompanies them, and the eyewitness accounts of daily life that the author weaves throughout, provide a fresh perspective on our early American ancestors and the places they called home. This book is about how their houses and their life in them, from the wealthy to the impoverished, from New York City to the small farms and plantations of the South, from coastal fishing towns to the Western frontier of Indiana and Kentucky. The stories focus on the remarkably vivid differences from one part of the country to the next, class and culture, and the realities of everyday life for American families. These stories twine around a wide selection of HABS photographs of early houses, covering the variety and evolutions of house styles -- not by labeling the style but by explaining the style in the context of everyday life.
Richly illustrated with handsome black-and-white photography of old houses from the Library of Congress Historic American Building Survey (HABS) collection and supplemented with period woodcuts, engravings, drawings, paintings, artifacts, and maps, the book is printed on a 4-color press for a depth of tone. Sidebar excerpts from diaries, journals, and letters inject graphic eyewitness descriptions, adding an additional layer of insight. The book also includes sidebars called Still Standing that traces the history of specific houses, from their origins to the present and includes information on the original family, how the house has evolvedover the centuries, and how it's used today.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference, Architecture

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2006

About the author

John W. "Jack" Larkin was the longtime chief historian at the outdoor history museum Old Sturbridge Village and an affiliate professor of history at Clark University from 2004 until his death.

Reviews

[Cindy Dyson Eitelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of pictures--most interesting were the ones of places that no longer exist in modern times. One of the WPA projects of the thirties was to photograph and document old buildings of interesting historical aspect. So he assembled these pictures, and others, into a pictographic history of American home architecture.

Oddly enough, it was the breadth of the book that exhausted me, and at the end, I was just flipping pages. I have an interest in architecture and a great interest in building materials and an immense interest in Americana, yet still I didn't feel like I learned much of interest with this. A lot more words might have done it--for example, if he'd started with a building style, explained briefly how the "bones" were put together, why it was popular, and when and where, then the pictures would have pulled it all together. That would have been a complete reversal of how I encountered the book: instead of pictures plus captions, it would have been engaging information plus illustrative examples.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at old buildings and the story they tell of how people lived from the late 1700s to the 1840s or so. I would have liked even more illustrations of some of the building types the author discussed, but it is a very nicely produced book, with lots of interesting information about how our ancestors used their living spaces.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book with cool pictures of old crusty houses and anecdotes about the people who lived in them. This is something of a mashup of architecture and sociology issued by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. I've had it for some time, reading a few pages here and there. Worth your attention if you are interested in the places, most gone now, where Americans once lived.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating picture of early houses and their regional characteristics. I've frequently been surprised by how humble the more common varieties were. Unfortunately, many of the houses mentioned in the text are unaccompanied by photographs, plans, or other images. The photographs that are included are invaluable to understand what these houses looked like, when a reader does not have the background to understand terminology such as "gables" and .

I would be interested to know how the American Indians fit into the landscape of early housing and architecture. Descriptions of slavery and slave quarters interesting - especially to note the careful line trod by the author when discussing the varying quality of slave quarters. I would also have enjoyed learning more about the distinctions between early English-style houses and other European styles.

Some of the photographs do not seem to be located on the most relevant pages - some photos of churches are placed on pages that discuss houses, instead of on those that discuss churches.

Overall this book was incredibly interesting and a very good resource for a beginner to learn about early colonial architecture. The images are fascinating and essential. The language was very accessible, though occasionally overly simplified. The quotes from travelers are well-integrated. I found them to be some of the most interesting sections in the book. Primary sources are invaluable in understanding "how things were." Furthermore, the author provides backgrounds, assumptions, and biases for the sources.

[Elaine Meszaros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the uninspiring title and cover, Larkin's book was thoroughly enjoyable. Focusing on homes of the common family from the times of the founding fathers, Larkin uses a wealth of images taken by the HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey), a project created during the Depression for out-of-work architects and photographers. Interspersed with pictures of the often dilapidated buildings are etchings and commentary by visitors to early America. While some found the new American cities charming (Charles Dickens) others loathed most that they came across (Joanna Trollope) and colorfully maligned them. While we still have regional styles, the descriptions and images of the original houses often follow rigid patterns based on region and immigrant nationality. In particular interest to me were the houses of Dutch immigrants from places like Amsterdam, still building their tall, narrow houses - despite the wealth of land around them.

[TeacupTizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone interested in American history or architecture. The author has done an excellent job of smoothly taking the reader on an architectural journey peppered with amusing and insightful tidbits and stories. My personal favorite is a story about Herman Melville, his wife and their small marital battle over a chimney.

Coupled with a very generous use of photographs, maps, illustrations and more and you have a book that fuels the mind with relevant imagery. All are well placed to complement the current point of interest. Do not be surprised to find yourself flipping a few pages ahead...not out of boredom so much as the simple enjoyment of discovering what lies ahead.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delighted to find a couple houses pictured here that I've personally been to!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read only pg. 1-47, and 112-167