Buildings of Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania

Seventeen years in the making, this volume is published as part of the estimable Buildings of the United States series, an ambitious state-by-state project of the Society of Architectural Historians. An introductory chapter offers an engaging, in-depth review of the built environment in the region, including discussion of Native American habitation, European settlement, buildings of various types (log, stone, brick, town, farm, industrial), early transportation, the impact of the automobile, tourism, historic preservation, and notable architects. Following the introductory essay approximately 800 entries are arranged geographically. Offering thorough, individual descriptions, the entries encompass buildings--exemplary ones like Wright's Fallingwater, and everyday ones--as well as bridges, railroads, and inclines. In addition, entries describing particular settlements and their histories offer insight into the interacting development of agriculture and industry in the region. About 400 small b&w photos and maps support the text. The three dedicated authors are as follows: Lu Donnelly, an architectural historian and author of books and articles; H. David Brumble IV, a realtor; and Franklin Toker (art and architecture, U. of Pittsburgh). U. of Virginia Press has published the most recent books in the series; Oxford U. Press published earlier volumes beginning in 1993. A companion volume is planned for Philadelphia and the eastern part of the state. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Lu Donnelly, an architectural historian who writes a regular column entitled "Architecture Around Us" in Western Pennsylvania History magazine, is the author of several books and National Register nominations on Allegheny County topics and organized an exhibition on barns of Western Pennsylvania for the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art. H. David Brumble IV, an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh, is a realtor in North Carolina. Franklin Toker is Professor of the History of Art and Architecture at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of a number of books, including Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait, Fallingwater Rising: Frank Lloyd Wright, E. J. Kaufmann, and America's Most Extraordinary House, andBuildings of Pittsburgh.