The restored Native American houses in Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico are among America’s oldest historic houses. The caves in the cliffs and simple structures like this were inhabited for thousands of years by the original inhabitants of the region. They remind us that America’s historic houses do not start with European colonial settlements and that those colonists borrowed from Native building traditions to adapt to their new environment.
Very few people in America live in a thousand-year-old house but remembering that they exist and some, like the Taos Pueblo, continue to be lived in, provides a useful context for our efforts at preserving much younger historic houses. It also makes a mockery of the sadly common idea that a house should be demolished simply because it is old.
If a thousand-year-old pueblo can be maintained and remain habitable, there is no reason a 100- or 200-year-old house cannot also remain in use!
“Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners” is the 720-page award-winning and best-selling hardcover book written to help people save old houses. Containing more than 2,000 color photos and drawings, it is based on more than 40 years of experience in the historic preservation field.
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 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. Save on cost and shipping with our multi-book combo packs!
“Restoring Your Historic House is also available in bookstores nationwide and from online retailers.
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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