The best way to learn about historic houses is to look at them closely, and the most fun way to look at them closely is to do a puzzle showing a wonderful historic house! So, we made a unique and interesting collection of Historic House Puzzles for you to enjoy!
The Arthur and Helen Heald House in Waterville, Maine, was designing in a combination of the Prairie, Craftsman, and Mission Revival styles by local architect Herbert E. Knapp and built in 1915. At the end of the nineteenth century, there was a turn away from the highly decorative styles of the late Victorian period with a return to a simpler, hand-crafted aesthetic.
In architecture, the movement found expression in new architectural styles that included Craftsman, Prairie, and Mission Revival. Here the form of the house is Prairie style with a strong horizontal emphasis, a low hipped roof with deeply overhung eaves, and ganged windows. Craftsman elements include the exposed rafter tails at the eaves, hipped dormer, and stucco finish. The porches draw from the Mission Revival style with their broad arches and stucco piers. It is not unusual for a house of the period to have a mix of sources like this.
These styles among the 25 architectural styles and types described and illustrated in Chapter 2 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.” Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available directly from the author in our online bookshop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
The classic volume on identifying historic house styles, “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester, is also available in our shop. “Restoring Your Historic House is also available in bookstores nationwide and from online retailers.
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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Click on the dashed box at the top-right in the puzzle box below to open the puzzle to full screen. In the top left, you can change the number of pieces (100 pieces is the default), toggle piece rotation, and change the background color. Then hit “OK” and have fun!