ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

Browse By Tag

  • Architecture (58)
  • People & Places (33)
  • Preservation (24)
  • House Styles (17)
  • House Tours (9)
  • Design (8)
  • Materials (5)
  • Color (4)
  • Paint (4)
  • Real Estate (4)
  • Landscaping (3)
  • Exteriors (3)
  • Remodeling (3)
  • Prefab (3)
  • Trim & Molding (3)
Tag icon article
How to Get Your OId House on the National Register of Historic Places
While owning a historic home presents a unique set of challenges, it also holds significant charms. Some are attracte...
Tag icon article
Mid-Century Modern Style: 5 Things All DIY Designers Should Know
Contemporary interior design isn’t dominated by a singular look, but one style that has prevailed for nearly 100 year...
Tag icon article
What Is Actually Considered Modern Architecture?
There’s understandably some confusion about what constitutes modern architecture. While some may identify any contemp...
Tag icon article
6 Cool Characteristics of Hacienda Style Homes
Hacienda style homes can create intrigue at just a glance. From their unique tile roofs to their romantic archways an...
Tag icon slideshow
9 Asian American Architects Who Influenced Our Skylines
AAPI architects have designed some of the world’s most memorable museums, historic memorials, and commercial buildings. Their wide-ranging work continues to inspi...
Tag icon slideshow
This Popular House Style in Chicago Is Going Extinct
Workers cottages, once a staple of Chicago’s middle-class culture, came to define the character of its residential neighborhoods. Now they’re being demolished in ...
Tag icon slideshow
15 Amazing Black Architects Who Shaped Our Skylines
These architects overcame racial barriers to become pioneers in their field, paving the way for generations to follow.
Tag icon slideshow
10 Charming Cape Cod Houses—From the East Coast and Beyond
Nothing says classic like Cape Cod architecture. From suburban cottages to rural retreats, find your favorite interpretation of this perennial style.
Tag icon slideshow
10 Photos of JFK’s Former Georgetown Residence That’ll Make Old House Lovers Swoon
The historic mansion where John F. Kennedy once lived recently sold—and the listing photos are simply beautiful.
Tag icon slideshow
12 California Ranch Homes to Give You Mid-Century Envy
These cozy bungalows are surprisingly spacious inside, with plenty of natural light to inspire creativity.
Tag icon slideshow
20 Photos That Show Why Chicago Loves the Two-Flat
Home comes in many shapes and sizes. In the Windy City, one unique setup is attracting renters and buyers of all kinds.
Tag icon slideshow
Hidden Gems: These 10 Small U.S. Cities Feature World-Famous Architecture
Stray from the beaten path and visit one of these smaller American cities to discover culturally significant feats of architecture.
Tag icon slideshow
16 American Towns Every Old-House Lover Needs to See
For old house enthusiasts, the historic charm of a vintage home can outweigh even the most tempting of today's modern amenities.
Tag icon slideshow
The Most Famous House in Every State
How many of America's most well-known homes would you recognize by name or by sight? Test your knowledge and take a virtual tour with our list of the nation's mos...
Tag icon slideshow
25 Places Every American Should Visit at Least Once
The best way to understand the fabric of America is to experience it firsthand. If you haven't been to these destinations and landmarks already then add them to y...
Tag icon slideshow
From Bridges to Stadiums: 18 U.S. Icons That Are Falling Apart
These American architectural wonders have seen better days.
Tag icon slideshow
What It Was Like Inside the Homes of the Pilgrims
There’s a lot of folklore surrounding the first Thanksgiving, and plenty of lively debate. When did it actually occur? Was this meeting with the Wampanoags truly ...
Tag icon slideshow
15 Famous Writers Whose Homes You Can Tour Today
Looking for inspiration for your library, or perhaps your next (or first) literary opus? Discover your muse at the homesteads of these 15 influential American wri...
Tag icon slideshow
15 Old House Features We Were Wrong to Abandon
We were probably right to leave behind many hallmarks of yesterday's home, but it's time to reconsider these 15 once-popular details, not for their novelty, but f...
Tag icon slideshow
The 12 Most Controversial Buildings in America
Buildings are more than just piles of bricks and mortar. Buildings tell stories and embody historical periods. Some even incite scandal and arouse controversy bec...
Tag icon article
Why We Love the Sleeping Porch
As a youngster, one of the summer's great thrills was "sleeping out," usually on someone’s deck or porch, but sometim...
Tag icon article
Solved! Here's Why So Many Homeowners Paint Their Porch Ceiling Blue
Q: Why do so many homes in the south have a blue porch ceiling? And what’s the best way to recreate the look on my po...
Tag icon slideshow
The 25 Most Beautiful Libraries in America
Libraries are magical places, filled with tales of faraway lands, adventure, romance and chivalry, inspiring the imaginations of generations and instilling a life...
Tag icon slideshow
Winter Retreats of Presidents Past and Present
When presidents want to escape the hustle and bustle of our nation's capital, they don't check into a nearby bed-and-breakfast. Instead, they head to secluded est...
Tag icon article
All You Need to Know About Tudor Style Homes, Then and Now
If you’ve lived in or near a suburb, you’ve probably seen your fair share of Tudor-style homes, typified by stucco or...
Tag icon slideshow
The 25 Most Beautiful Old Train Stations in America
The rise of the automobile, the development of the interstate highway system, and the growth of the airline industry signaled the slow death of America's rail lin...
Tag icon slideshow
15 Saltbox Houses Worth Their Salt
Popular in 17th- and 18th-century America for its ability to accommodate large families, the saltbox house features a catslide roof that extends below the eaves, ...
Tag icon slideshow
The 14 Best Governor’s Mansions in America
Landing the plum position of governor comes with the added perk of living rent-free in what is often one of the ritziest residences in the state: the governor's m...
Tag icon slideshow
13 Homes from the Original Colonies that Still Stand Today
America may have 50 states now, but a little less than 250 years ago it consisted of just 13 colonies. Even today, there are some amazing homes built during the c...
Tag icon slideshow
Love Old Houses? These Are the 15 Airbnbs for You
Airbnb has loads of property listings that date back at least 100 years. We’ve rounded up our 15 favorite historic rentals around the U.S., including colonial tav...
Tag icon slideshow
13 Striking House Styles from Around the World
They say that home is where the heart is, but in a world of wildly divergent landscapes and cultures, “home” looks different for everyone. Here are 13 interesting...
Tag icon slideshow
America’s 50 Most Infamous Homes
There are the famous houses of America that everyone knows and loves: Fallingwater, Biltmore, the White House, and other venerable residences distinguished by the...
Tag icon slideshow
15 Classic Roadside Motels You Can Visit Along America's Highways
Who doesn’t love an all-American road trip? As automobile travel gained popularity in the early 20th century, a slew of kitschy roadside motels popped up along th...
Tag icon slideshow
25 Tiny Towns to Visit for a Glimpse at How We Used to Live
With their captivating histories and unbroken ties to tradition, these small but fascinating towns bring to life the legends, the lore, and the romance of the past.
Tag icon slideshow
The Best Small-Town Inns in All 50 States
For your next weekend getaway or midweek escape from the metropolis, skip past the swanky hotels and hit the hay at one of these 50 small-town inns across the cou...
Tag icon slideshow
11 Incredible Mansions That No One Wants to Buy
Have you ever passed by a wow-worthy residence that's had a "For Sale" sign on display for what seems like an eternity and wondered why no one has scooped up the ...
Tag icon slideshow
11 Vintage Houses That Came from a Catalog
In the early 20th century, a handful of companies, including Sears, Roebuck and Co., sold tens of thousands of mail-order homes. Available in a variety of styles ...
Tag icon slideshow
Here's What Your Home Appliances Looked Like 100 Years Ago
Today's pricey, high-tech gadget may be tomorrow's has-been, little more than the seed for some cooler innovation to come. That was certainly the case with these ...
Tag icon slideshow
18 Victorian Homes We Love
Queen Victoria may have vacated the British throne long ago, but the regal and architecturally distinctive Victorian houses erected during her reign, from 1837 to...
Tag icon slideshow
The 12 Most Infamous Goofs in Architecture History
What do you get when you bring together forward-thinking architects, exacting engineers, and tireless construction crews? In the case of these 12 iconic buildings...
Tag icon slideshow
Take a Peek Inside 11 Charming Carriage Houses
While the days of the horse and buggy are far behind us, relics of that bygone age remain to this day in the form of carriage houses. Originally built to house ho...
Tag icon article
All You Need to Know About Transom Windows
Few architectural structures and details survive centuries of passing trends and technological advances in the way th...
Tag icon slideshow
The Secret Histories of 15 Grand Old American Mansions
Every house has a story—some more mysterious than others. The peculiar pasts and enigmatic former owners of these mansions have left countless unanswered question...
Tag icon slideshow
The 19 Most Photographed Homes in America
Whether you’re an avid shutterbug or simply an admirer of regal real estate, you’ll want to save space on your camera roll for these picture-perfect properties, w...
Tag icon slideshow
Straight and Narrow: 22 Shotgun Houses We Love
Shotgun houses, traditionally no wider than 12 feet, feature a cascaded floor plan, wherein each room is arranged behind the other. These popular residential arch...
Tag icon slideshow
10 U.S. Towns That Are Older Than America
For history lovers, nothing beats the old-time charm and architectural wonder of America’s oldest towns. These settlements are hundreds of years old, dating back ...
Tag icon slideshow
21 Crazy But True Facts About the White House
Although the memorable speeches, grand state dinners, and other important events that have taken place at the White House have been well documented in history boo...
Tag icon slideshow
18 Castles You Can Buy (for Less Than You Think)
Who said you had to be a royal to live like one? Everyday house hunters looking for a new place to call home can snag any one of these on-the-market castles and c...
Tag icon slideshow
Would You Recognize These 9 Iconic Streets Way Back When?
America’s streets are paved with remarkable history. Some of the nation’s earliest historical routes; ones that once wound through quiet boroughs and townships, a...
Tag icon slideshow
15 100-Year-Old Houses That Haven't Aged a Day
Can’t find any centenarians on your street? Look again; the oldest resident in the neighborhood may well be a historic home. These ancient abodes around the count...
Tag icon slideshow
The 20 Best (and Most Unusual) B&Bs in America
Planning your next escape? Venture beyond the familiar hotels to uncover the best-kept secrets in vacation destinations. These 20 bed-and-breakfasts around the co...
Tag icon slideshow
Step Inside 12 Hotels That Take You Back in Time
Across the world, countless historic structures have been converted into hotels whose old-world architecture and antique decor transport guests back to another er...
Tag icon slideshow
15 Iconic American Homes Torn Down Before Their Time
In desirable neighborhoods across the United States, the razing of a tear-down is a familiar sight. But this market-driven trend actually has a very long history....
Tag icon slideshow
17 Parts of Your Home You Never Knew Had Names
Your house is made up of walls, windows, floors, doors... and a bunch of other thingamajigs and whatsits. Here, a slew of architectural mysteries solved!
Tag icon slideshow
Better Your Builder-Grade Home with 12 Old-House Details
In a community of volume homes, where most facades are similar, dare to be different. Unlock the secrets to aesthetic appeal with timeless trends and historic fea...
Tag icon article
The Resurrection of a Gloriously Derelict Castle in France
Five years ago, Karina and Craig Waters—a tax accountant and a urologist, respectively, in Perth, Australia—began loo...
Tag icon article
Find Out Which Renowned Homes Were Practically Uninhabitable
Pushing the envelope always entails risk. But much more often than you might have expected, works of architecture tha...
Tag icon slideshow
10 Iconic Baseball Stadiums Worth a Roadtrip to See
There's nothing quite like a trip to the ballpark: the uniform-clad crowds, the salty peanuts, the 7th-inning stretch—and the all-important game, of course. Yet a...
Tag icon quiz
TV House Quiz: Test Your Memory of 12 Famous Shows
Over the course of watching a television series, you get to know the characters pretty well—and you also learn to love (or loathe) the where they live. Test your ...
Tag icon slideshow
Bob Vila's Architecture Bucket List: 10 Must-See Wonders
Take an architectural tour to see some of the incredible buildings that have inspired Bob Vila. Ranging from classical to modern, these landmark structures will p...
Tag icon article
Mobile Homes: Then and Now
In Elkhart, IN, at the Recreational Vehicle/Manufactured Housing (RV/MH) Hall of Fame, resident historian Al Hesselba...
Tag icon article
Historic Paint Colors: New Insights and Ideas for Owners of Centuries-Old Homes
The gasp was audible. On entering the dining room at Monticello in late 2011, the chatter abruptly ceased as the tour...
Tag icon article
Historic St. Petersburg Neighborhoods
St. Petersburg, the fourth-largest city in Florida, was founded in 1888 and now has 248,000 residents. Set on Tampa B...
Tag icon article
A Brief History of Cobblestones
A walk through the historic districts of many older American cities will reveal a rustic and romantic street standard...
Tag icon article
The Biltmore Estate: A Brief Architectural Tour
I recently toured The Biltmore in Asheville, NC—a 250-room estate on 8,000 acres, the largest private home built in A...
Tag icon video
Taking an Architectural Tour of Harvard Square
Bob explores Harvard Square with architectural historian Brian Pfeiffer, who highlights three centuries of architecture in Cambridge, MA.
Tag icon video
Touring the Isaac Bell Historic House
Bob takes a tour of the Isaac Bell historic house in Newport, RI, exploring one of the finest examples of the Shingle Style to be found anywhere.
Tag icon video
Painting with Historically Accurate Colors
Architectural conservator Brian Powell helps Bob do some detective work to discover the original exterior paint color scheme. They then look at historically appro...
Tag icon video
Touring the Shingle Style Naumkeag Historic House
Bob takes us to Stockbridge, MA, to tour Naumkeag, a wonderful example of the grand Shingle Style by architect Stanford White.
Tag icon video
Restoration of the Brooklyn Academy of Music
Karen Brooks Hopkins, president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), gives Bob a peek at the restoration of the main building.
Tag icon video
Touring Lincoln Road in Miami Beach
Bob visits Lincoln Road guided by architectural historian Allan Shulman, who chronicles the Lincoln Road saga from its beginning with Carl Fisher, "Mr. Miami Beac...
Tag icon video
Site Work Preparing for Precast Foundation
Bob teams up with Michael Shiels, the project's general contractor, to discuss the foundation prep work that is underway.
Tag icon video
Tour of the Gilded Age Cottages of the Berkshire Hills
Bob tours the Gilded Age cottages in the Berkshire Hills around Lenox, MA.
Tag icon video
Cape Cod-Style Architecture and Royal Barry Wills
Bob visits Cape Cod with Dick Wills, who is carrying on the work of his father, architect Royal Barry Wills. Beginning in the 1920s, the senior Wills popularized ...
Tag icon video
Architectural Possibilties in a Modern Cape
Dick Wills takes Bob on a tour of the interior of his Cape-style home.
Tag icon video
Touring the Calvin Coolidge House and the Burtch-Udall House
Bob meets University of Vermont professor Tom Visser in Plymouth Notch to visit the birthplace of President Calvin Coolidge. They then go to see the Burtch-Udall ...
Tag icon video
Reviewing the Bathroom Tile and Fixtures
Bob looks at the finished wall tile from Shaw in a second-floor bathroom at the Vermont farmhouse project site.
Tag icon video
Tour of Middleton Place
Bob visits Middleton Place, a plantation located outside Charleston, SC, renowned for its exquisite landscaped gardens.
Tag icon video
Tour of Shirley Plantation
Bob takes a tour of Shirley Plantation, the oldest operating family farm in America, located right on the James River.
Tag icon video
Tour of Boston's Leather District
Bob takes a walking tour of some of Boston's best-preserved antique commercial buildings in the Leather District with architectural historian Brian Pfeiffer.
Tag icon video
Tour of Historic Roxbury Architecture
Bob tours some of the grand old houses that remain from Roxbury's heyday at the turn of the century.
Tag icon video
A Retrospective of Restoration Projects in the Elmwood Neighborhood
Bob recaps the entire Elmwood project. It was a community effort involving an array of houses, though great pains were made to adhere to the historic look of the ...
Tag icon video
Shoreline House Tour of Miami
Bob takes a shoreline tour of Miami, his hometown, to introduce the new project.
Tag icon video
Tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House
Bob takes a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House.
Tag icon video
Neighborhood Tour of Newton, MA
Bob takes a tour of Newton, MA. "The Garden City" boasts a wide variety of American architectural styles and is one of the most desirable communities in the Bosto...
Tag icon video
Discussing the Design
Bob is on site to discuss the design of the completed addition with the project architects.
Tag icon video
Tour of Charleston, SC
Bob sets out on a carriage tour of historic Charleston, SC to get a feel for the elegant and well-preserved architecture of one of the most beautiful cities in th...
Tag icon video
Initial Tour
Restoration contractor Richard Marks shows Bob around the elegant, though quite run-down, Federal-style project house.
Tag icon video
William Gibbes House Tour
Bob tours the William Gibbes House, one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in America.
Tag icon video
William Gibbes House Garden Tour
Bob returns to the William Gibbes House in Charleston, SC for a tour of the one-acre garden of this grand Georgian mansion, one of the nation's best examples of G...
Tag icon video
Tour of Millford Plantation
Bob takes a field trip to Millford Plantation, a spectacular Greek Revival governor's mansion with echoes of the Civil War still ringing through its halls.
Tag icon video
Robert Barnwell Rhett House Tour
Bob tours a Georgian architectural beauty with twin octagonal parlors a few blocks away from the project house in Charleston, SC.
Tag icon video
Tour of the Vanderbilts' Great Camp Sagamore
Bob tours the mother of all cabins in the woods of upstate New York's Adirondack mountains, a camp once owned by the Vanderbilt family.
Tag icon video
Osterville, MA & Nauticus Marina
Bob tours the town of Osterville, MA, which has a deep background in fishing and maritime activity. And he meets with Bill Koch, one-time America's Cup champion, ...
Tag icon video
Historic Windmill Tour
Bob tours the Old East Mill, a restored post-and-beam windmill, at Heritage Plantation in Sandwich, MA. In its day, the mill produced rye, corn, salt, and barley....
Tag icon video
Touring the Exterior of Chateau-sur-Mer
To prepare for the Victorian remodel, Bob takes an inspirational tour of the striking Chateau-sur-Mer in Newport, RI.
Tag icon video
Touring the Interior of Chateau-sur-Mer
Bob tours the lavish interior of Chateau-sur-Mer in Newport, RI. The entrance walls are painted canvas and the ceiling is adorned by a fresco. Hand-carved walnut ...
Tag icon video
Staining the Exterior
Painting contractor Mike Suarez sprays water-based stain on the home's exterior, while Bob, accompanied by paint consultant Sherry Hiller, tours the island with a...
Tag icon video
Tour of Drayton Hall in South Carolina
Bob visits Drayton Hall, in South Carolina, for a tour of one of the finest examples of Georgian-Palladian architecture in the United States.
Tag icon video
Thomas Edison Home Tours
Bob tours homes that were designed by Thomas Edison. Built in Maine before being shipped to Florida, the homes are surrounded by indiginous plantings, and the dec...
Tag icon video
Touring Art Deco Architecture in Miami Beach
Bob tours the Art Deco section of Miami Beach. His guide points out many notable sites, including the Bow Hotel, believed to be the oldest building in Miami Beach...
Tag icon video
Touring Vizcaya
Bob visits Vizcaya, a remarkable Italian Renaissance-style palazzo. Head curator Doris Littlefield shows Bob around the 70-room mansion and 12-acre estate gardens.
Tag icon video
Florida Architecture
Bob and Andrea, a Florida architect, look over some building models and visit examples.
Tag icon video
Touring Chicago's Modern Architecture
Bob meets with architectural historian Susan Benjamin to tour five buildings in Chicago, the birthplace of the skyscraper.
Tag icon video
Touring Chicago Architecture
Bob joins architectural historian Susan Benjamin for a tour of some of Chicago's landmark buildings.
Tag icon video
Tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Studio
Bob tours the Oak Park, IL studio of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Bob goes on to visit several nearby houses designed by Wright at the turn of the century.
Tag icon video
Historic Neighborhoods of St. Petersburg
Bob visits the historic neighborhoods and parks of St. Petersburg, FL.
Radio banner a
Regulating the Refrigerator Temperature More clips
Get the Adobe Flash Player to listen to this audio file.
Follow banner a
Newsletter icon Flipboard glossy Facebook Twitter Pinterest Youtube Rss icon