This Week’s Historic House Puzzle! ~ The Charles E. Balch House in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Click here to go to the puzzle: yourhistorichouse.com/charles-e-balch-house-puzzle/
Designed by John T. Fanning and built in 1881, the house is a classic Italianate villa style house of the period with a tower tucked into the corner of its T-shaped plan.
The Italianate and Gothic Revival styles are known for introducing romantic asymmetrical silhouettes to American homes, with towers, porches, bay windows, and other elements that broke up the simple rectangular box of earlier houses. Popularized by plan books by Andrew Jackson Downing and others, the style spread from coast to coast.
Understanding the style of a house and what the characteristics of the that style are is essential to planning a good restoration.
Italianate is one of 25 styles described and illustrated with multiple images in Chapter 2 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
The award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book is available in bookstores and from online retailers. Signed and personalized copies are available directly from the author in our shop, YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Want to learn more about historic house styles? “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester, is the classic volume on the subject and is available in our shop with other select restoration and preservation titles. Save with our multi-book combo packs!
© Scott T. Hanson 2024.
#antiquehome #antiquehomes #traditionalarchitecture #historicalhomes #historicalhouse #historic #oldhousecharm #oldhome #oldhouse #preservation #preserveourhistory #houseandgarden #aplacetocallhome #homerestoration #houserestoration #historicpreservation #ownapieceofhistory #vintagehome #architecturelover #restoringyourhistorichouse #yourhistorichome #restoration #houserehab #italianatestyle #victorianhouse #victorianstyle #italianate #victorianvilla #historichousepuzzle