A Resource for People Who Love Historic American Homes

If you are reading this, then like me, you probably love old homes and spend way too many hours poring over house plans. I started this store, and I'm starting this new blog, so that I can share that love with you all. Here you will find a growing collection of detailed, measured drawings of beautiful old homes that encompass the entire range of American styles.

Historic American Homes

The Salem-Towne House  - 1796

From Colonial homes... 

Marcel Breur's House in a Garden - 1948

To Mid-Century Modern...

Trocadero Inn, San Francisco - 1860s

 

And everything in between!

 

Detailed house plans in a range of styles

Although I've just shared with you lovely photos in different styles, I should mention that the focus of my store is not on photos, but on highly detailed and accurate drawings of these homes, of which there are a few examples below.

Why drawings? Because, as the architect Mies van der Rohe said, "God is in the details." It's in the little things, the proportion of a window, the height of a ceiling, the profile of a window casing, that we find the essence of these styles. What makes a Carpenter Gothic home different than a Colonial style home? It's in the details. And these detailed drawings, the best in the vast collection of the Historic American Building Survey, capture those differences.

Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House - 1951

Construction details of the Farnsworth House

If your purpose is to restore an old home and you want to learn more about the style, this is the place for you. If your goal is to build a new home that reflects a historical style, again this is the place for you. 

Calef House - 1852 - a classic southern style house

And if you simply love a well crafted set of architectural house plans, this is definitely the place for you!

Calef House, with its broad and welcoming porch

 

So, come on by and join the fun. Feel free to browse. And if you can't resist, go home with some beautiful house plans!

 

• Tags: architectural prints, classical architecture, colonial style, craftsman style, federal style, floor plans, historic american homes, home plans, home restoration, house plans, house restoration, mediterranean style, midcentury modern home, prairie style, southern style, victorian style

 

 

 

 

La Chapelle de Saint Saint Démet, Plozévet, Finistère

 La Chapelle de Saint Démet, Plozévet, Finistère

The chapel dedicated to Saint Démet, set in a small park, rests in a gentle depression, a few feet below the roads that now surround it. A few yards to the north-east a small natural spring emerges from the ground. The waters disappear underground again, flowing around and under the chapel, draining to the south.

The Chapel of Saint Démet, west front

 

This is a spot of water, a spot where people gathered since time immemorial, and where they continue to gather today.

The Chapel of Saint Démet

 

The chapel that stands today has its origins in the 13th century. All that remains of this earliest structure is a row of half-round arches resting on columns.

13th century arcade

 

The west front and the south portal date from the 15th century. The south portal has a unique feature, an opening at its base that reveals the flow of water from the spring to the north-east.

South Porch with spring at lower left

 

The majority of the remaining structure dates from the 16th century. The stonework is from the typical local granite and the interior vaults are of wood. The nave and transept are quite wide compared to other chapels in the region, with large tracery filled arches, giving the interior a more spacious and brighter appearance. 

From the nave towards the apse

From the north transept towards the nave and south porch

 

There are three sculptures of note inside, one of Saint Démet as bishop, a Piéta of the 15th century and a 16th century statue of Saint Alar. There are also two highly remarkable baptismal fonts of ancient and unknown date.

 

The chapel remains central to the life of the village of  Plozévet still today.

The park enclosure surrounding the chapel contains several beautiful and unusual monuments.

First of note is the ancient calvary, a feature found adjacent to many churches in the Finistère region. This cavalry is surmounted by a statue of the crucified Christ, with angels collecting his blood in chalices.

War monuments by René Quillivic

 

Next to the calvary are monuments to locals of Plozévet who died in the two world wars. These monuments are the work of the celebrated Breton sculptor René Quillivic, who was born in the neighboring town of Plouhinec. Quillivic expressed his pacifist ideals through monuments to the victims of the world wars, by recording the sacrifices and personal losses that war brought to the lives of all.

Les Sonneurs, by René Quillivic

 

At the other end of the park can be found another sculpture of Quillivic, this one a delightful celebration of Breton music as performed by two men in local dress, playing the bombard and the binioù bras, a form of  bagpipes. 

(16 September, 2020)