Uncommon Vernacular
The Early Houses of Jefferson County, West Virginia, 1735-1835
Allen’s refreshing perspective illuminates the vibrant vernacular architecture of Jefferson County, connecting the housing of this area to the rich history of the Shenandoah Valley. Varying features of house siting, plan types, construction techniques, building materials, outbuildings, and exterior and interior detailing illustrate the blending of German, Scots-Irish, English, and African cultures into a distinct, regional style.
During my career at the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office I have realized that while great architecture exists within the state’s boundaries, not many people knew about it. Now they will. And, although I have visited many buildings included in this book or read their National Register of Historic Places nominations, I could never turn to a reference volume that provided a comprehensive review through floor plans, drawn elevations and photographs. Now I can. John Allen has captured the wonderful architecture of Jefferson County in this, the first publication that documents in great breadth the character and quality of architecture found in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle region of the Shenandoah Valley. Focusing on the period 1735-1835, Allen confirms that architecture found in Jefferson County embraced the popular architectural styles of the era. Each building’s description and analysis is accompanied by meticulous drawings and rich photographs. Walter Smalling, Jr., photographer, and Andrew Lewis, illustrator, have created a wonderful record of this architecture. Both serious student and casual reader will enjoy exploring these pages. I look forward to adding this volume to my collection and sharing it with others.'
Susan M. Pierce, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer'Within this handsomely presented book, author John Allen shares his rapture for the eighteenth and early nineteenth century architectural gems he has uncovered in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Some known, others discovered; some sophisticated for their time and place, others a unique marriage of English precedents from coastal Virginia and German influences that flowed south through the Shenandoah Valley. Beautifully supported by Walter Smalling’s handsome photographs and Andrew Lewis’s excellent elevation drawings and abundant floor plans, Uncommon Vernacular opens for the casual reader and scholar alike a rich though largely underappreciated vein of America’s architectural heritage. In so doing, Allen has struck pure gold.'
Dr. William J. Murtagh, First Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places‘Detailed text, extensive photographic documentation, and meticulously drawn plans and renderings collectively present early and extant conditions in a manner that provides a comprehensive historical record.’
Joan M. Brierton, Historic Preservation Specialist‘This book is beautifully and engagingly written.’
Keith D. Alexander, Historic Preservation Program Coordinator, Shepherd University
•Chapter One
From Settlement to Refinement: Houses in Context
•Chapter Two
Early Farmhouses, 1735–1815
•Chapter Three
Later Farmhouses, 1815–1835
•Chapter Four
Outbuildings: Farm Structures Serve the House
•Chapter Five
Town Houses, 1780–1835
•Chapter Six
Siting and Construction
•Chapter Seven
Exterior Features
•Chapter Eight
Interior Detailing
•Chapter Nine
The End of Local: Arrival of the Railroad and Canal, 1835–1850
•Conclusion
•List of Houses Surveyed
•Notes
•Acknowledgments
•Contributors
•Index