Buildings of Michigan /

The revised edition of Buildings of Michigan is really a companion edition to the original 1993 edition of the same title. A side-by-side comparison of this edition with the previous one demonstrates the toll that the economic recession, the financial crisis, and the decline of the Detroit auto industry have had upon the historic buildings of Michigan. About a quarter of the original entries are intact, while a full three-quarters have been edited, removed, or are entirely new to this revised edition. Changes are the most pronounced for entries in urban areas that have experienced substantial population fluctuations, e.g., Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Traverse City, and Marquette. This volume is part of a planned 60-volume series commissioned by the Society of American Architectural Historians. The first ten books in the "Buildings of the United States" series were published by Oxford. These include Karen Kingsley's Buildings of Louisiana (CH, Dec'03, 41-1983) and William Jordy's Buildings of Rhode Island (CH, Oct'04, 42-0754). Now published by the University of Virginia Press, this series continues to be an important one. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. L. A. Beinhoff New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

This is the first in a series of guidebooks, Buildings of the United States, dealing with American architecture. The volume for Iowa is also now available; Alaska and Washington, D.C., will be published in late 1993; Rhode Island is scheduled for 1994. Inspired by the 46-volume Buildings of England by Nikolaus Pevsner (Penguin, 1951-74), the Society of Architectural Historians, the sponsoring body, intend that this state-by-state survey will eventually comprise a complete history of the architecture of the U.S. The Michigan volume was compiled by Eckert, a State of Michigan Historic Preservation officer. Buildings were chosen for inclusion based on the recommendations of historians, architects, and others. This book greatly expands earlier projects, such as the Historic American Buildings Survey: Michigan (National Parks Service, Department of the Interior, 1967) or The 50 Most Significant Structures in Michigan (Michigan Society of Architects, 1980). Entries are arranged geographically, generally by county, with a separate section for Detroit. Entries range from one paragraph to two or three pages in length. Small black-and-white photographs accompany some entries. Each coded entry includes the name of the property, the date it was built, the architect, any major additions or renovations, and the address, along with interesting information about its history and a description of its architectural features. Detailed maps make it possible to locate and visit the sites, which include courthouses, churches, bridges, public libraries, commercial buildings, and private homes. A bibliography of suggested reading, a glossary of architectural terms, and a detailed index conclude the book. The index lists proper names only; there is no subject access. It would have been useful if the index listed buildings by function: train stations, lighthouses, schools, etc. Though not intended to be a social history, such as Wayne Andrew's Architecture in Michigan (Wayne State Univ., 1982), the introduction of this work provides essays on various aspects of the state's cultural development, including "Frontier Farms and Villages" and "Copper and Mining." However, the main text consists of short, descriptive entries about individual buildings. As the series editors state in the foreword, these volumes are to be used both as reference books and as guidebooks and belong not only on library shelves but also in glove compartments and backpacks. (Reviewed Sept. 1, 1993)