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Historic Preservation Home > Syllabi > 300 Level Courses > HISP 305A-02 American Building

UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION
HISP 305A-02: AMERICAN BUILDING
Spring Semester, 2008

Professor W. Brown Morton
Tuesday-Thursday, 2:00-3:15 p.m.
Combs Hall, Room 112

COURSE DESCRIPTION
HISP 305, American Building, investigates American buildings from the prehistoric period up to the present day.  The student will examine the evolution and relationship of architectural history, building style, materials, and structural systems and relate them to the social, economic and intellectual development of the United States.  American Building teaches the student to appreciate the built environment as fundamental to the cultural heritage of the nation and an integral part of the larger cultural heritage of the world.  Each building or modification reflects its time, available techniques, and the intention of the builders and owners.  To introduce the student to "real life" preservation, fieldwork field trips will expand the classroom experience.  Each student will carry out an on-site term project measuring, drawing and analyzing an historic building in Fredericksburg.

CLASS REQUIREMENTS

TEXTS
The following books are required and will be available in the University Bookstore:

Lanier, Gabrielle M. and Bernard L. Herman.  Everyday Architecture of the Mid-Atlantic: Looking at Buildings and Landscapes.  Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.

Lounsbury, Carl R.  An Illustrated Glossary of Early Southern Architecture & Landscape. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Additional required texts relating to specific class periods for this course are available on the internet at the web addresses indicated in the syllabus and in Blackboard.umw.edu.  These texts available on the internet as well as the two books listed above, are identified following the "Required Review:" portion of each class assignment.  All students will be expected to make regular use of the internet resources. 

Additional printed material may be listed on Blackboard Course Documents or distributed in class.

Additional readings, which are recommended, include:

McAlester, Virginia and Lee McAlester. A Field Guide to American Houses.
New York: Alfred Knopf, 1984.
Peterson, Charles E., ed.  Building Early America, The Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia, Radnor, Pennsylvania: Chilton Book Company, 1976.
Upton, Dell, editor, America's Architectural Roots: Ethnic Groups that Built America. Washington, D.C.: The Preservation Press, 1986.

The Department of Historic Preservation has a web page:
http://www.umw.edu/hipr

This course is specifically available on the web at:
http://blackboard.umw.edu

Equipment and Training

The most important skills developed through education are the ability to read for comprehension, think clearly, and express oneself effectively in speaking and writing.  Students are encouraged to use the facilities of the UMW Writing Center if they wish to improve their writing for classroom assignments. 

This course requires photography, model making, measured drawings and computer-generated assignments as well as research on the Internet--no exceptions will be made except in cases of documented disability.  Students will be required to purchase model making, drafting supplies and photographic supplies as necessary, to complete the assignments.  However, any copies of student work for the Department or for property owners will be made at the Department’s expense.

TEST and FINAL EXAMINATION

There will be a mid-term test Tuesday, February 26.  There will be a final examination on Tuesday, April 29, 3:30-6:00 p.m.

OUT-OF-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
There are three out-of-class assignments during the semester. Each is intended to increase the sophistication of the student's knowledge and understanding of the built environment in the United States.

Project #1 is to make a three-dimensional balsa wood model of a typical American timber frame building.  The model will be based on one of the several examples given in Chapter 3 of Gabrielle M. Lanier and Bernard L. Herman.  Everyday Architecture of the Mid-Atlantic: Looking at Buildings and Landscapes, or on an example chosen by the student and approved by Professor Morton.  The model will be made at a scale chosen by the student but may not be less than ¼” = 1’-0”.  Students should have agreed with Professor Morton the subject for their model this assignment by Thursday, January 24.  The project is due Thursday, February 21.

Project #2 builds on the fieldwork experience of HISP 205. Each student working both individually and as part of a team will be assigned a portion of the historic building to document with measured drawings. This documentation will include a floor plan and a section. These drawings will be assigned by Professor Morton in consultation with the student and may be CAD produced.   The student will also prepare basic photographic documentation of all exterior elevations, general (overall) views of each interior space throughout the building and character defining architectural details of the building's exterior and interior using both film or digital cameras and color slides. In the final HISP 305 report each student will submit photographs with the written report. The photographs will all be labeled using the National Register model described in National Register Bulletin 16A, page 64.

 Accompanying the drawings and photographs will be a basic written description of the exterior of the project site and of all the interior spaces, written in the style of a Historic American Building Survey historic reports description, Outline Format, Part II, Architectural Information.  Your written description based on the HABS Outline Format must also include your own assessment of possible phases of construction of the building, if any, and sequencing of interior modifications based on your observation of the physical evidence.

Although the students will work in teams to gather the documentation, each student is required to make his/her own photographs and will turn in his/her own drawings and written description.
The project is due Thursday, March 25

Project #3 is a survey assignment to identify the impact of new materials found in or near the commercial area of the Fredericksburg Historic District on Caroline Street.  Each student will choose one of the 20th century building materials that they can see has been used with some frequency in the study area.  Each student will inspect the storefronts and entranceways on both sides of Caroline Street starting with the 500 block and ending with the 1200 block and expanding beyond that if good examples are located nearby.

This field research paper will include both written text and information as well as presented in tabular form [perhaps using a spread sheet format such as Excel].

The student will identify by street number and also by shop or building name, all buildings where the modern material has been used and also suggest a date range for when the material may have been installed in each instance.   Examining the sequence of Sanborn fire insurance maps is encouraged.

The student will analyze the sources of the modern material and its earliest possible introduction, using information in the literature and then evaluate when, in the Caroline Street area, it may have first appeared and for how long it was popular.  Digital or film photographs of each example identified must be included in the report with captions indicating the location of the photograph, the date of the photograph and the name of the photographer. 
The paper must include formal Chicago Manual of Style endnotes for all information that is not self-evident from observing the resource.

To complete Project #3, students must consult the full text of the following work for their chosen modern building material:  Jester, Thomas C., ed.  Twentieth Century Building Materials: History and Conservation. Washington, DC: Archetype Press for McGraw Hill Companies, 1995. 

A copy of this now out-of-print book is available in the Department of Historic Preservation reference library in the basement of Combs.  This volume may not be taken out of the reference library for any reason.  The assignment will begin Tuesday, April 1 and is due, Thursday, April 17.  You must select a building material where you can find six or more examples.

GRADING
Letter grade descriptions in quotations below are taken from the Academic Catalog.  This and the Dictionary of Academic Regulations should be consulted for further explanation of these and all other grading details and other academic regulations.  When numerical grades are used in computation, I use the following equivalents:

below 60: F 0.00 quality points
60-66 D 1.00 quality points
67-69 D+ 1.30 quality points
70-72 C- 1.70 quality points
73-76   C 2.00 quality points 
77-79 C+ 2.30 quality points
80-82  B- 2.70 quality points
83-86 B 3.00 quality points
87-89  B+ 3.30 quality points 
90-93 A- 3.70 quality points
94-100 A 4.00 quality points

FINAL GRADE
Please note: No passing grade can be achieved in this course without completion of all tests, final examination and out-of-class term project assignments.  Your final grade will be based on: Class participation, which includes, Assignment #1 (15%), Assignment #2 (30%) Assignment #3 (15%), midterm examination (20%), final examination (20%). The Out-of-Class Assignments will be marked down by a letter grade (10 points) if handed in later than the beginning of class on the date due.  The project will also be marked down for sloppy presentation, incorrect spelling, grammar or punctuation.

OFFICE HOURS:
Monday          11:00 - 12:00
Tuesday          9:30 - 11:00
Wednesday     9:30 – 10:30
Thursday         9:30 - 11:00
or by Appointment, Combs Hall, Room 129
Telephone: 654-1310
e-mail: bmorton@umw.edu

SCHEDULE OF CLASS MEETINGS, TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS

This class schedule tells you how we will proceed with our discussion of historic preservation.  I reserve the right to alter the topic of any lecture, but the day on which tests, papers and books are scheduled will not be changed.

HISP 305: AMERICAN BUILDING, SPRING, 2008

I. Introduction

1. Tuesday, 15 January, 2008
Review of syllabus and course requirements.
Introduction to American Building

2. Thursday, 17,  January, 2008
Class meets at Combs Room 112 to discuss the Field Project and its requirements.
Introduction to the Conservation/Museum Laboratory and the DHP collection of building parts and materials.

II.  Understanding How Buildings Work

3. Tuesday, 22 January, 2008
Introduction to style, typology, and form.
Required Review: Lanier, 1-60; Lounsbury “A”

4. Thursday, 24 January, 2008
      Theories of Stress
Construction: Underpinnings
 Required Review: Lanier, 61-69. Lounsbury “B & C”
            Notify Prof. Morton of your model subject choice.

5. Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Wood Frame Construction: Walling - Joined Timber Framing
Required Review: Lanier, 69 – 94
Required Review: Lounsbury “D & E”

6. Thursday, January 31, 2008
Construction: Wood and Wood Tools,
Walling - Log Construction
Required Review: “Wood” documents found on Blackboard Course Documents for HISP 305; Lounsbury “F & G”

7. Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Field Trip to Kenmore: examination of King Post Truss and Roof Framing and later alterations to the framing system.
[Meet Conservator Becky Wood at the West front steps at Kenmore, 1301 Washington Ave., at 11:00 a.m. and bring your notebooks]

8. Thursday, February 7, 2008
Fasteners:
Required Review: Lanier, 94-95, Lounsbury “H & I”, Nelson, Lee H. "Nail Chronology as an Aid to Dating Old Buildings." American Association for State and Local History Technical Leaflet 48, History News, Vol. 24, Number 11, November, 1968.
Recommended Review:  Buggey, Susan.  "Supplying Building Materials to the British Army in the Colonies: An Illustrated Document".  APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology, Volume VIII, No. 3, 1976; Phillips, Maureen K. “Mechanic Geniuses and Duckies: A Revision of New England’s Cut Nail Chronology before 1820.” APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology, Volume XXVII, Nos. 1 & 2, 1996.

9. Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Masonry Building Materials and Techniques: Stone
Required Review: Lanier, 95-97, Lounsbury “J”; McKee, Harley J.  An Introduction to Early American Masonry: Stone, Brick, Mortar and Plaster.  Washington, D.C.: The Preservation Press, 1973.

10. Thursday, February 14, 2008
Masonry Building Materials and Techniques: Brick and Mortar
Required Review: Lanier, 97-111, Lounsbury “K & L”; McKee, Harley J.  An Introduction to Early American Masonry: Stone, Brick, Mortar and Plaster.  Washington, D.C.: The Preservation Press, 1973.           

11. Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Building Trades, Contracts, Specifications, and Agreements;
Doors, Windows, Moldings and decorative Detailing
Required Review: Lanier, 111-113, Lounsbury “M”, and Handouts.
Recommended Review: Nelson, Lee H.  "Wainscotting (A.K.A. Panelling) in Historic Buildings.” Training Aid.  Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Preservation Assistance Division.

12. Thursday, February 21, 2008 
Project #1, Model, due at the beginning of class.
Discussion and organization O. C. A. #2. 

13. Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Midterm Test

14. Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Structure and Materials of Roofing
Required Review: Lanier, 113-118, Lounsbury “N”
Recommended in Jandl: Mary Dierickx, “Decorative Metal Roofing in the United States.”             Exterior Painting
Recommended Review: in Jandl: Pamela Hawkes, “Economical Painting: The Tools and Techniques Used in Exterior Painting in the Nineteenth Century
Farm Outbuildings and Plans
            Required Review: Lanier, 177-225, Lounsbury “O & P”
       Landscape Ensembles
            Required Review: Lanier, 278-315

SPRING BREAK

III.   How Design Affects Building

15. Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Video: The Matthew Jones House: A Case Study of Historical Preservation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, 1994.
Note: Please take notes from the video about 1) The stages of building technology and development of the Matthew Jones House; 2) The use of computer graphics to document and understand the phases of construction. 

16. Thursday, March 13, 2008
Classicism and Construction
Required Review: Lanier, 119-139, Lounsbury “Q & R”

17. Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Gothic and Romanesque styles: the Architecture of Religious Revival.
The Picturesque and the Eclectic
Required Review: Lanier, 139-172, , Lounsbury “S & T”

18. Thursday, March 20, 2008
Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Architecture
Required Review: Lanier, 226-277, Lounsbury “U & V”

19. Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Industrialization of building practice
Required Review: Lounsbury “W”; in Jandl: Antoinette Lee, “Cast Iron in American Architecture: A Synoptic View; Paul E. Sprague, "Chicago Balloon Frame." Mary Dierickx, "Decorative Metal Roofing in the United States."
Project # 2 due.

20. Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Professional architect, the Ecole des Beaux Arts and the rise of the Engineer as Architect:
Bridges and reinforced concrete construction.
http://www.pghbridges.com/basics.htm
Required Review: Lounsbury “Y & Z”
[Project #2 due at the beginning of class.]

21. Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Field trip to Central Virginia Railroad Metal Truss Bridge
[Class meets at the Lafayette Blvd. End of the bridge.]
[Begin Project #3.]

22. Thursday, April 3, 2008
The Road to Tall Buildings
The consumer revolution: Heat, Light, Water, and Air
Building Codes and the changing Construction industry

IV.  Twentieth Century Building Materials

23. Tuesday, April 8, 2008
            Twentieth Century Building Materials: History and Conservation
                Recommended Review: TCBM: Introduction, 8-45.           

24. Thursday, April 10, 2008
Twentieth Century Building Materials: Metals
            Recommended Review: TCBM: 46-79

25. Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Twentieth Century Building Materials: Concrete
            Recommended Review: TCBM: 80-119

26. Thursday, April 17, 2008
            Twentieth Century Building Materials: Wood and Plastics
            Recommended Review: TCBM: 120-149
[Project # 3 due at the beginning of class].

27. Tuesday, April 22, 2008
            Twentieth Century Building Materials: Masonry
            Recommended Review: TCBM: 150-181

28. Thursday, April 24, 2008
            Twentieth Century Building Materials: Flooring, Roofing, Siding and Walls
            Recommended Review: TCBM: 214-277
            Review for Exam.                       

Final Examination: Tuesday, April 29, 3:30-6:00 p.m.