by Architectural Observer | Jun 3, 2019 | Blog, Observations
Most old houses have had alterations over the years — very few come down through time just as they were built. Unless a house was altered with an extreme attention to maintaining details, it is usually possible to get a fairly good idea as to what the house...
by Architectural Observer | Jun 2, 2019 | Blog, Observations
Each house or building in the following six photos has at least one thing wrong with it — from the viewpoint of architectural or physical integrity, that is! Some are quite obvious while others are a bit more subtle; some will have multiple offenses while others...
by Architectural Observer | Apr 30, 2019 | Blog, Observations
In Part One we looked at some types of door hardware which were common prior to the mid-nineteenth century — latches and rim locks made of iron. While mortise locks were in use, they were not common. Surface-mounted rim locks remained popular in the latter half...
by Architectural Observer | Apr 22, 2019 | Blog, Mail Order and Kit Houses
After a century of use, many old houses have been updated, remodeled or otherwise altered to the extent that they are scarcely recognizable. Others, like this Sears Maytown in Struthers, Ohio, are able to transcend time with only slight changes. Owner Dawn Hartzell...
by Architectural Observer | Apr 8, 2019 | Blog, Observations
When a vernacular farmhouse on the High Plains of western Kansas was abandoned in favor of a sleek new ranch-style house in the mid 1950’s, it was emptied and forgotten about. It had received minimal (if any) maintenance in the following sixty-odd years and is...
