A Field Guide to American Houses (Virginia Savage McAlester)

$41.94

Recommended by Kelsey Keith

Willa

Visit

This is such an actually useful classic that I keep an extra Kindle version around for referencing on-the-go.

Currently reading for design research

History

Willa5mo ago

I go house-snooping the way others go birding. This is such a lovely way to start seeing the hidden beauty of the buildings around you, and to figure out how your neighborhood pieces together. This particular edition is a nice update to the 1984 original.

a month ago

Comments

Rachel G

@rgreenSep 7, 2026

We have a copy at my library branch near me and it’s a great reference

Across Rec League

A Field Guide to American Houses

amy hagedorn

“I LOVE THIS BOOK! IT IS SO COOL AND FUN AND INTERESTING! LEARN ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!”

813

Willa

“I go house-snooping the way others go birding. This is such a lovely way to start seeing the hidden beauty of the buildings around you, and to figure out how your neighborhood pieces together. This particular edition is a nice update to the 1984 original.”

131

Evan McAvenia

“when I forget what anything is, i go back and thank god for the master work of virginia mcalester. it’s a bible, a tome, and one of my most referenced books. honestly, just grateful she wrote it. so clear, so generous, and somehow makes the entire american built environment make a little more sense.”