Beginning with McKim, Mead, Bigelow, and White's famous sketching trip of 1877, architects have recorded the historic architecture of northern New England and incorporated its imagery into their own designs. Colonial Revival Maine provides an insightful account of how an interest in the classical influences of colonial- and federal-era buildings engaged the imagination of a group of Boston-based architects and their draftsmen. together, these under-appreciated designers would create the charming streetscapes and bucolic retreats that today dot the Maine coast.
The 'summer cottages' built for the wealthy Boston elite in the resort communities of the Kennebunks, Bath, and North Haven form the focus of this richly illustrated book. Period drawings and archival photographs of interiors and furnishings are supplemented with exterior views, which capture the special relationship between the highly refined buildings and the rugged coastal landscape. newly commissioned photographs help to create a rich portrait of one of America's favorite styles in what is still today one of its prime vacation destinations.