The AIA Historic Resources Committee (HRC) maintains a reading list based on the recommendations of HRC members around the country. We hope to continuously expand the list with additional titles and add book reviews when possible. If you would like to suggest a book be added to the list or would like to write a book review, please contact hrc@aia.org and see the example book review.
General Preservation Texts
Braunfels, Wolfgang. Monasteries of Western Europe: The Architecture of the Orders. Princeton University Press, 1972.
de Botton, Alain. The Architecture of Happiness. Pantheon Books, 2006.
Denslagen, Wim F. Architectural Restoration in Western Europe: Controversy and Continuity. Amsterdam: Architectura and Natura Press, 1994.
Gabriel, Jean-Francois. Classical Architecture for the Twenty-First Century: An Introduction to Design, in association with The Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America. W. W. Norton, 2004.
Gibson, Sally. Inside Toronto: Urban Interiors 1880s to 1920s. Cormorant Books, 2006. Interview with the Author.
Greer, Nora Richter. Architecture Transformed. Rockport Publishers, 1998.
Heath, Kingston W. The Patina of Place: The Cultural Weathering of a New England Industrial Landscape. University of Tennessee Press, 2001.
Jacobs, Jane, Dark Age Ahead, Vintage Books-Random House, 2006.
Jokilehto, Jukka. A History of Architectural Conservation. Butterworth, 1999.
Katz, Ron. French America. French Heritage Society and Editions Didier Millet, 2004. Book Review.
Moe, Richard, Wilkie, and Cater. Changing Places. Henry Holt & Co., 1997.
Murtagh, William J. Keeping Time: The History and Theory of Preservation in America. 3d ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
Sawin, Martica, ed. (with a foreword by Jane Jacobs) James Marston Fitch: Selected Writings on Architecture, Preservation and the Built Environment, W. W. Norton & Co., 2006.
Stipe, Robert E., ed. A Richer Heritage: Historic Preservation in the Twenty-First Century. University of North Carolina Press, 2003.
Tung, Anthony M. Preserving the World’s Great Cities. Clarkson/Potter Publishers, 2001.
Tyler, Norman. Historic Preservation. W. W. Norton & Co., 2000.
Vogt, Lloyd. Historic Buildings of the French Quarter. Pelican Publishing, 2002.
Wood, Anthony C. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect A City's Landmarks. Routledge, 2007.
Young, Robert A. Historic Preservation Technology. John Wiley & Sons. 2008. Book Review.
Preservation Dictionaries
Burden, Ernest. Illustrated Dictionary of Architectural Preservation. McGraw-Hill, 2004.
Bucher, Ward. Dictionary of Building Preservation. John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
Cole, Emily. The Grammar of Architecture. Bulfinch Press, 2002.
Harris, Cyril M. Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture. Dover Publications, 1977.
———. American Architecture. W. W. Norton & Co., 1998.
Parker, J. Henry. Classic Dictionary of Architecture. New Orchard Editions, 1986.
Phillips, Steven J. Old-House Dictionary. The Preservation Press, 1992.
Poppeliers, John C., and S. Allen Chambers. What Style Is It? A Guide to American Architecture. John Wiley & Sons, 2003.
History of Preservation
Fitch, James Marston. Historic Preservation: Curatorial Management of the Built World. Reprint. University of Virginia Press, 1998. (Originally published by McGraw-Hill, 1982.)
Maddex, Diane. Master Builders. National Trust for Historic Preservation and John Wiley & Sons, 1985.
Page, Max, and Randall Mason. Giving Preservation a History: Histories of Historic Preservation in the United States. Routledge Press, 2004.
Schoenauer, Norbert. 6,000 Years of Housing. W.W. Norton & Co., 2000.
Swett, Richard N. Leadership by Design: Creating an Architecture of Trust. Greenway Communications, 2005.
Preservation Law
King, Thomas F. Saving Places that Matter-A Citizen's Guide to the National Historic Preservation Act, Left Coast Press, 2007.
U.S. Department of the Interior. Federal Historic Preservation Laws. 2006.
Preservation Practice
Brand, Stewart. How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built. Penguin, 1995.
Burns, John A. and U.S. National Park Service. Recording Historic Structures. 2d ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004. (Originally published by AIA Press, 1989).
Byard, Paul Spencer. The Architecture of Additions: Design and Regulation. W. W. Norton & Company, 1998.
Friedman, Donald. Historical Building Construction. W. W. Norton & Co., 1995.
———. The Investigation of Buildings. W. W. Norton & Co., 2000.
Kidney, Walter C. Working Places: The Adaptive Use of Industrial Buildings. In association with the Society for Industrial Archeology and Ober Park Associates, 1976.
National Park Service. Historic Buildings Preservation Briefs 1–43. National Park Service Preservation Assistance Division, GPO.
New York Landmarks Conservancy. Repairing Old and Historic Windows. Preservation Press, 1992.
———. Historic Building Facades. Preservation Press, 1997.
Raley, H. Michael; Polansky, Linda G.; Millas, Aristides, J. Old Miami Beach-A Case Study in Historic Preservation July, 1976-July, 1980, Miami Design Preservation League, 1994.
Rypkema, Donovan D. The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leader's Guide, 2005 edition. Preservation Books, 2005.
Swank Hayden Connell Architects. Historic Preservation: Project Planning and Estimating. R.S. Means, 2000.
U.S. Department of the Interior. The Preservation of Historic Architecture. Lyons Press, 2004.
Waite, John G. Tweed Courthouse: A Model Restoration. W.W. Norton, 2006.
Preservation Materials and Methods
Appelbaum, Barbara. Conservation Treatment Methodology, Bunter Heinemann. July 2007.
Belle, John; John Ray Hoke; and Stephen A. Kliment. Traditional Details. John Wiley & Sons, 1991.
Jester, Thomas C., and National Park Service. Twentieth-Century Building Materials. McGraw-Hill, 1995.
Knobloch, Philip J. Architectural Details from the Early Twentieth Century. AIA Press, 1931.
Prudon, Theodore H. M., Preservation of Modern Architecture, John Wiley & Sons, 2008. Book Review.
Tunick, Susan. Terra-Cotta Skyline. Princeton Architectural Press, 1997.
Weaver, Martin E. Conserving Buildings. John Wiley & Sons, 1993.
Preservation Journals and Periodicals
Association for Preservation Technology International (APT). APT Bulletin. Published 3 times a year.
National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Common Ground. Published quarterly.
National Trust for Historic Preservation. Preservation. Published bimonthly.
National Trust for Historic Preservation. Forum Journal. Published quarterly.
National Trust Forum, National Trust for Historic Preservation. Forum News. Published bimonthly.
Professional Trade Publications Inc. Traditional Masonry: A Quarterly Magazine for the Masonry Preservationist.
Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, New York. Future Anterior: Journal of Historic Preservation, History, Theory and Criticism. Published twice each year.
Restore Media. Clem Labine's Traditional Building. Published monthly.