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!
This is a detail shot of a ceramic tile bathroom floor installed in the 1887 Hench House in the 1930s. This art deco pattern was popular during the “Jazz Age,” often accompanied by white subway tile with black trim. See today’s other post for a full view of the bathroom. Bathrooms and kitchens are the most frequently updated rooms in most houses.
In many cases, the updated room is now historic in its own right and deserving of preservation. This is the approach taken by Jean and Jim Leaman when they restored most of Hench House back to its 1880s appearance but kept the early 20th century bathrooms intact. The restoration of the Hench House by a retired couple who did much of the work themselves should be an example to others, and that is the reason I used it on the cover of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Hench House is one of 13 featured houses photographed by noted architectural photographer David Clough and presented between the how-to chapters of the book. These houses range from Maine to New Mexico and from c. 1760 to 1957. Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors, including the classic “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester. Save with our multi-book combo packs!
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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!