Description

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This is an examination of the cultural, economic, and psychological influences which shaped the evolution of domestic architecture in Greenville, Virginia. Greenville is located along what was the old Shenandoah Valley Turnpike in Augusta County. The book is organised around a brick house built on Main Street in 1829. When constructed, this house exemplified the vernacular architecture of the Valley during the early 19th Century. Later changes to the house reflected some of the influences that shaped the town and surrounding region during subsequent years. The region's changing architectural landscape is interpreted so as to provide a better understanding of everyday life in Greenville and similar towns throughout the Shenandoah Valley during an era when the valley was a major conduit for settlers moving west. This was an exciting time in American history as Old World traditions were giving way to the emergence of a new American ethic. This book is relevant not only to an understanding of the historical landscape of Greenville and environs, but also to an understanding of the dynamics of cultural landscapes and the records of change embodied in architectural features everywhere.