Wealthy Americans began buildingopulent country estates in the late 1880s and continued to do sofor the next fifty years. In this beautifully illustrated and informative book, we view the breadth and aesthetic vitality of these American country houses through the expert eye of a practicing architect. 250 black-and-white illustrations; 60 color plates.

This magnificent book describes the great country houses built with American industrial fortunes from the end of the Civil War until 1940. The American Country House draws on the rich and often amusing writings of contemporaries to evoke the lives the buildings served as well as architectural shapes they took. 275 illustrations.

Blueprints, sketches, and exterior and interior photographs showcase the finest examples of 1930s country homes from 70 different architectural firms. A variety of styles are featured, from simple cottages to large estates.

An illustrated treasury of the most magnificent Long Island mansions and a compendium of the architects who designed them.