American Architectural Restoration

James Oermann's American Architectural Restoration encompasses many aspects of restoring and preserving old buildings. Many of us use, live in, and walk by old buildings every day. In the past many assumptions have been made about why and how old buildings were made the way they were. It is not until we do real research, and often actual restoration ourselves that we come to know and understand the many details about and lessons taught by these buildings, often forgotten, which surround us on a daily basis. In the past, Americans assumed that the reason why closets were not built into homes was a supposed "closet" or "room" tax. Now, this urban myth has been debunked.

Through this Book, James walks the reader through the process of assessing an historical restoration, and gives the reader good, solid advice on how to do certain steps, what is important, and what pitfalls await the would-be restorer. Information on tools, techniques, and the philosophical sides of restoration and preservation are given.

Also of great importance, and only approached in the past in a piecemeal fashion is the sociological and social history aspects of American architecture from roughly the late 18th century to mid- 20th century. This social and building history starts in Europe covering 13th century British castles and farmhouses, then encompasses the American colonial period, the importance of Native American architecture, and finally into the Victorian golden age and the decline of classical architecture in the mid-20th century.

American Architectural Restoration gives the reader new insight into what practical approaches must be made when choosing certain parts of buildings to maintain, which to replace, and which can be restored. Also, it gives us new and deeper understanding into how the historical architecture that surround us on a daily basis came to be. With this knowledge we will have better appreciation for how and why the old buildings around us came to be. In turn, we will hopefully after reading the Book have motivation to undertake the process and to encourage preservation rather than demolition.