Highly Recommended Old House Books and References
Best Old House Books
Recommended Books
Here are some of the Best Books for the Old House Owner that I personally recommend.
Old Time Non-Electric Shopping
and
Cumberland General Store
Two great interesting stores. These sites are like online versions of an 1890 Sears Reobuck Catalogue featuring tons of reproduction items.
Preservation Advocacy
The Preservation Advocate News is published by the National Trust's Department of Public Policy and distributed to its advocacy network. Here you can send form letters in support of historic preservation legislation. To sign up for e-mail delivery, visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation home page and click on Visit Legislative Action Center on line and follow links to "Action E-List" or call (202)588-6254.
Magazines
The Old House Journal
The Old House Journal is a magazine which has a web site. There is no other magazine that can compare to the wealth of information provided. The best part of
their web site is the "TALK" page where you can post questions about anything that has to do with old houses.
Subscribe
Old House Advise from Experts
Old House Restoration and Repair Advice. The Old House Web is the authoritative source for old house restoration and repair. Features extensive How-To's, Product Directories and User Forums.
Preservation Directory
The name is just what it says. You can find a link for anything you need to know at this site. Highly Recommended!
House Repair Talk
Here is a new site - a community discussion forum for home improvement and repairs. Although not geared to historic homes, it is a resource for general house repair questions.
Historic Home Works - John Leeke, Preservation Consultant
A great resource. Helping owners, tradespeople, contractors and professionals understand and maintain their historic and older buildings.
Arts and Crafts Societies
The Arts and Crafts Society
This is an excellent resource. SEARS & ROEBUCK KIT housesare are pictured in this web-site. Each house is pictured with floor plans and some interior views from 1908 through 1940. Go to the archives section and choose Kit Houses. There are also many other excellent resources in this site.
The Lombard Bungalow Club
Another site dedicated to the preservation of Bungalows.
The Arts and Crafts Home
Another Arts & Crafts Design site
Publications
Preservation Advise Booklets
Through this link to The Old House Journal, you will be brought to a section listing Preservation publications. Writers working under contract with the federal government have assembled booklets designed to help resolve common preservation and repair problems.
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
Traditional-building.com is the professional's source for historic products.
National Parks Service Preservation Services and Publications
The official government site which charges for most information.
HABS - Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress)
Highly recommended. This Library of Congress resource has put online the HABS - Historic American Building Surveys which were done as a government project in the 1930's. Architectual drawings from historic buildings are available in hard copy which can provide a wealth of knowledge. For example: what kind of door knobs were used in New England in 1842. This site takes some playing around with.
Education & Training
Drew University Historic Preservation Program
From New Jersey? Drew University is offering courses in their Historic Preservation Certificate Program. This is where I go and I think it's great! For more info. check out their website.
This Old House - TV show & Magazine
Do NOT go to their web site, read their magazine, or watch their TV show. This Old House is very well known and has great media exposure. Therefore it has a great influence on the public and this is dangerous. Their media can be considered educational or a learning tool to those eager to do projects on their home.
UNFORTUNATELY, their message does NOT teach or promote the preservation of the historical character of one's home. Instead they create a desire to be creative, make changes and destroy. If your lifestyle doesn’t fit your house, you should find one that does or build a new home based on historic plans. Knocking out walls, turning grand staircases around and gutting kitchens is not what old house lovers do. Your house represents history and you should respect that for future generations. With the influence This Old House has on the public, I fear for the future of old homes. Once it’s destroyed, it’s too late and it won’t be long before the only place you will see an authentic kitchen etc. is in a book.