Stalking George Barber

Background

The word used most often to describe pattern book architect George Barber is "prolific." Examples of Barber's fanciful designs can be found in every state in America. They were the most prevalent in small towns and rural communities where architects were less plentiful. However, Barber homes did pop up in some cities as well. The houses designed by Barber and his firm, Geo F. Barber & Co. are so excessive in detail that they are practically parodies of the Queen Anne style. If there is a Victorian era home in a small town which is the best example of the Queen Anne style then it is more than likely a Barber House.

George Barber was born in 1854 in De Kalb, Illinois. He had many interests as a young man including botany and architecture. Barber was an avid reader and studied architecture extensively. He worked as a carpenter and later founded his own firm in De Kalb, Geo. F. Barber & Co. In 1887 he self-published The Cottage Souvenir. In 1888 Barber moved his family to Knoxville, Tennessee. After this move he worked with several other architects until re-establishing Geo. F. Barber & Co. in 1890. In 1891 Barber utilized several examples of homes that he had constructed in Knoxville as samples in his new pattern book, The Cottage Souvenir No. 2, A Repository of Artistic Cottage Architecture and Miscellaneous Designs. This publication brought Barber great notoriety across the country and greatly contributed to his success.

Not only did The Cottage Souvenir No. 2 bring Barber widespread notoriety, it also solidly planted him in the homebuilding industry. Other publications followed such as American Homes, a magazine published from 1895-1900, and Artistic Homes which was published from 1893-1897. Barber's next major pattern book would be Modern Dwellings, A Book of Practical Designs And Plans For Those Who Wish To Build Or Beautify Their Homes, in 1901. After experiencing many years of widespread success, the pattern book industry began to decline around 1908. Sadly, Barber passed away in 1917. Despite his passing, Barber leaves behind a lasting legacy of thousands of "handsome" and "artistic" houses from coast to coast.

The main focus on this thesis was the concept of authenticity as it relates to pattern book houses. The definition used for authenticity was acquired from Merriam-Webster Dictionary

and is "a. worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming or based on

fact; b. conforming to an original so as to reproduce original features;

c. made or done the same way as an original." The idea of authenticity

is debated quite frequently in the preservation field, especially in

regards to materiality. Preservation commissions such as Savannah's

Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) call for in-kind repair and

replacement on historic buildings. This means that any repairs made to

a historic structure must be similar in materiality and architectural style

so that they are harmonious with the original character of the building.

Using this definition of authenticity, I studied examples of

known George Barber houses in Florida and Georgia. Since pattern

book houses are all based on the same plans, there is the expectation