Woodward's Country Homes

In the aftermath of the Civil War, as Americans began abandoning crowded cities for the promise of rural life, George E. Woodward offered this indispensable guide for building those dreams. Published in 1865, it addresses a nation in transition: urbanites seeking retreat, farmers wanting nicer homes, and anyone caught between practical needs and aesthetic aspirations. Woodward provides detailed architectural plans spanning humble farm cottages to ambitious villas, but this is no mere pattern book. He argues passionately for designing homes that respond to their landscapes, work with local materials, and suit the lives of their inhabitants. The result is a philosophy that feels remarkably modern: build in harmony with your land, and your house will feel like it belongs there. For modern readers, the book serves as both a time capsule of Victorian-era domestic ambition and a practical manual for anyone restoring period homes. The section on selecting sites and materials alone contains wisdom that outlasted the century that produced it.