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REQUIRED READINGS. Required readings will be assigned from the following books, which should be purchased if possible. Town Planning in Frontier America is now out of print, but copies of are on reserve at Bailey Howe Library and in Wheeler House. In addition, you may be able to find used copies via the internet.
1. William Cronin, Changes in the Land. Indians, Colonists,
and the Ecology of New England.
2. Chester Liebs, Main Street to Miracle Mile. American Roadside
Architecture.
3. John Reps, Town Planning in Frontier America. (Out of Print-BH
Reserve)
4. Witold Rybczynski, Last Harvest. How a Cornfield Became New
Daleville.
5. John Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 1580 to 1845.
6. John Stilgoe, Outside Lies Magic. Regaining History and Awareness
in Everyday Places.
7.. Sam Bass Warner, Streetcar Suburbs. The Process of Growth
in Boston (1870-1900).
Reading assignments have also been selected from the following, which have been placed on reserve at Bailey Howe Library. The Miller and Melvin book is also on electronic reserve.
Zane Miller and Patricia M. Melvin, The Urbanization of Modern
America. A Brief History. Note: this book is out of print but
various editions may be available from the internet. Page numbers
may not conform to the assigned numbers, but the general content
should be apparent.
John Stilgoe, Metropolitan Corridor. Railroads and the American
Scene.
SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS. Supplemental readings have been identified for each class and a separate bibliography will be distributed. These readings are not required but are offered as optional sources that provide greater depth regarding their respective topics or that were used extensively in the preparation of class lectures. They are also beginning points for research regarding your paper topics.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Tuesday, January 15th
Introduction: History on the Land
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Outside Lies Magic, 1-58.
2. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 3-43
Thursday, January 17th
Patterns of Settlement: English Colonial Town Plans.
Required:
1. Reps, Town Planning in Frontier America, 73-180.
2. Stilgoe, Outside Lies Magic, 59-69.
Supplemental:
1. Paul Zucker, Town and Square from the Agora to the Village
Green.
1. Anthony N. Garvan, Architecture and Town Planning in Colonial
Connecticut.
Tuesday, January 22nd
Transport: Colonial Roads to Good Roads, and the Trails and Turnpikes
Between.
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 107-115,129-134.
2. Reps, Town Planning in Frontier America, 181-210.
Supplemental:
1. Frederick Wood, The Turnpikes of New England and Evolution
of the Same Through New England, Virginia, and Maryland.
2. Karl Raitz, ed., The National Road.
Thursday, January 24th
Transport: Canals
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 115-134.
2. Reps, Town Planning in Frontier America, 211-237.
Supplemental:
1. Patricia Anderson, The Course of Empire. The Erie Canal
and the New York Landscape, 1825-1875.
2. Robert J. Kapsch. Canals
Tuesday, January 29th
Transport: Railroads
OUTLINE DUE
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Metropolitan Corridor, 21-132.
2. Reps, Town Planning in Frontier America, 238-263.
Supplemental:
1. Carl Condit, The Port of New York. A History of the Rail
and Terminal System from the Beginning to Pennsylvania Station.
Thursday, January 31st
Agriculture: Landscapes and Barns
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 135-170.
2. Cronin, Changes in the Land, 1-15.
Supplemental:
1. Thomas Hubka, Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn.
The Connected Farm Buildings of New England.
2. Howard S. Russell, A Long Deep Furrow: Three Centuries of
Farming in New England.
Tuesday, February 5th
Urban and Community Agriculture: Commercial Greenhouses
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 170-208.
2. Cronin, Changes in the Land, 127-156.
Supplemental:
1. John Auwaerter, "Factories of Glass: Development of
the Modern Commercial Greenhouse, 1880-1930."
2. John Hix, The Glass House.
Thursday, February 7th
Commercial and Industrial Buildings: Turning Points in Evolution
of Size, Structure and Materials:
Brick Bearing Walls, Trusses and Arches, I-Beams, Plate Glass,
Terra Cotta, and Reinforced Concrete
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 265-324
Supplemental:
1. Cecil Elliott, Technics and Architecture. The Development
of Materials and Systems for Buildings.
2. H. Ward Jandl, ed., The Technology of Historic American
Buildings
Tuesday, February 12th
Power: Wind
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 88-99
2. Miller & Melvin, Urbanization of Modern America,
3-43
Supplemental:
1. Lindsay Baker, A Field Guide to American Windmills.
Thursday, February 14th
Power: Direct Drive Water
Required:
1. Miller & Melvin, Urbanization of Modern America,
47-104
Supplemental:
1. Louis Hunter, Water Power - Steam Power. A History of
Industrial Power in the United States, 1780-1930. 2 vols.
2. Theodore Steinberg, Nature Incorporated. Industrialization
and the Waters of New England.
Tuesday, February 19th
Power: Steam
Required:
1. Miller & Melvin, Urbanization of Modern America,
105-124
2. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 339-346.
Supplemental:
1. Louis Hunter, Water Power - Steam Power. A History of Industrial
Power in the United States, 1780-1930. 2 vols.
Thursday, February 21st
Power: Coal-Fired, Steam-Generated Electricity and Hydro-Electricity
Required:
1.. Miller & Melvin, Urbanization of Modern America,
125-174
Supplemental:
1. Grant Hildebrand, Designing for Industry. The Architecture
of Albert Kahn
Tuesday, February 26th
Factory
PART ONE DUE
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 324-337.
Supplemental:
1. Grant Hildebrand, Designing for Industry. The Architecture
of Albert Kahn
Thursday, February 28th
Industry: Iron
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 99-107.
Tuesday, March 4th
Town Meeting Day. No Class
Thursday, March 6th
MID-TERM EXAMINATION
Tuesday, March 11th
Spring Recess. No Class
Thursday, March 13th
Spring Recess. No Class
Tuesday, March 18th
Urbanity: Reading the City
Required:
1. Miller & Melvin, Urbanization of Modern America,
175-252
2.. Warner, Streetcar Suburbs, 1-34
Supplemental:
1. David Ward, Cities and Immigrants: A Geography of Change
in19th Century America.
2. Roger Trancik, Finding Lost Space. Theories of Urban Design.
Thursday, March 20th
Transit: Streetcars and Interurbans
Required:
1. Warner, Streetcar Suburbs, 35-116.
Tuesday, March 25th
Transit: Rapid
Required:
1. Warner, Streetcar Suburbs, 117-166.
Supplemental:
1. Robert C. Reed, The New York Elevated
2. Michael W. Brooks, Subway City. Riding the Trains, Reading
New York
Thursday, March 27th
Community: By Plan
Required:
1. Reps, Town Planning in Frontier America, 264-295.
2. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 209-231.
3. Stilgoe, Outside Lies Magic, 131-155.
4. Rbyczynksi, Last Harvest, 1-97
Supplemental:
1. Clarence Stein, Toward New Towns for America.
Tuesday, April 1st
Community: By Park. Part 1: Public Squares, Garden Cemeteries,
Pleasure Grounds, and Park Ways.
Required:
1. Cronin, Changes in the Land, 19-81.
2. Rbyczynski, Last Harvest, 101-183.
Supplemental:
1. Galen Cranz, The Politics of Park Design. A History
of Urban Parks in America.
2.Witold Rbyczynski, A Clearing in the Distance. Frederick
Law Olmsted and America in the 19th Century
Thursday, April 3rd
Community: By Park. Part 2: Progressivism and Municipal Reform
Parks - City Beautiful Parks, Neighborhood Parks,
Playgrounds, and School Parks; Progressivism and Reform Parks
- City Beautiful Parks, Neighborhood Parks, Playgrounds,
and School Parks; Progressivism and Conservation Era Parks - Forest
Parks and Prairie Parks; Recreation Facilities; Pocket Parks;
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Outside Lies Magic, 103-129.
2. Rybczynski, Last Harvest, 187-201
Supplemental
1. Leonard K. Eaton, Landscape Artist in America. The Life
andWork of Jens Jensen.
Tuesday, April 8th
Community: By Forest
Required:
1. Cronin, Changes in the Land, 82-126.
Supplemental:
2. Robert McCullough, Landscape of Community. A History of
Communal Forests in New England
Thursday, April 10th
Community: By Footpath
Required:
1. Cronin, Changes in the Land, 159-170.
Supplemental:
1. Laura and Guy Waterman, Forest and Crag
Tuesday, April 15th
Awheel: Parks, Parkways and Paths for Bicycles
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Common Landscape of America, 231-264.
Supplemental:
1. Charles Little, Greenways for America
Thursday, April 17th
Roads for the Automobile
PART TWO DUE
Required:
1. Liebs, Main Street to Miracle Mile, 1-151.
2. Stilgoe, Outside Lies Magic, 89-101 & 157-178
Supplemental:
1. Bruce E. Seely, Building the American Highway System. Engineers
as Policy Makers.
2. James J. Fink, The Car Culture.
Tuesday, April 22nd
Roadside: Fast Food
Required:
1. Liebs, Main Street to Miracle Mile, 153-227.
Supplemental:
1. Richard Horowitz, The Strip: An American Place
2. John Jakle and Keith Sculle. Fast Food. Road Restaurants
in the Automobile Age.
Thursday, April 24th
Roadside: Motel
Required:
1. Stilgoe, Outside Lies Magic, 71-88, 179-187.
Supplemental:
1. Warren Belasco, Americans on the Road. From Autocamp
to Motel.
2. John Jakle and Keith Sculle. The Motel in America
Tuesday, April 29th
Escape
Required: None
Supplemental: None
Thursday, May 8th
FINAL EXAMINATION
7:00 to 10:00 PM
COURSE INFORMATION
ASSIGNMENTS. Students will be asked to prepare a written paper divided into two parts, each part due separately. The paper will be based on a selected topic that involves any feature of the cultural landscape, such as a building, structure, site, transportation corridor, or designed landscape. The paper will combine the use of periodical literature and trade journals with field study. A description of the assignment will be provided. In final form, the two segments should be typed, and each should be approximately one thousand (1000) words long. The due dates for a one-page outline of the topic and periodical literature selected, time-spans included, and for the first and second segments are identified in the course schedule. Students are welcome to submit drafts of their papers in advance of the deadlines.
ATTENDANCE. Class attendance is required, and the instructor must be notified regarding any absences (See grading below)
BIBLIOGRAPHY. A bibliography of readings for further study on each of the lecture topics will also be posted on the instructor's web page. This list should be considered as a beginning point for research concerning the topics identified and should be consulted during selection and preparation of the written assignment.
EXAMINATIONS & GRADING. Preliminary and final examinations will be based on assigned readings, class presentations, and discussion. The dates of these examinations are noted on the schedule. The course grade will be determined as follows: preliminary, 30%, final exam 30%, paper, 30%, attendance and class participation, 10%.
FIELD TRIP / EXTRA SESSIONS. A field trip may be scheduled depending on interest and available time. Extra presentations may be offered in the evening depending upon student interest. Available topics include Spanish and French patterns of town planning; urban and community agriculture; and the fossil fuel industry. Ohers can be developed as desired. Students can select convenient dates, with at least one week prior notice.
IMPORTANT PLACES, DATES, AND PERSONS. Each student will receive a list of important places, dates, persons, etc., mentioned in the lectures. These are arranged by lecture topic and provide a skeleton outline of the course. Students should review these lists before class.
OFFICE HOURS. Office hours will be announced, but other arrangements are possible as required
THEMATIC OVERVIEW. The course seeks to provide students
with a basic understanding of the historical document that is
our cultural environment, whether built or natural. The subject
is vastly complex, and the course is not intended to provide a
comprehensive study of any one aspect of the landscape. In truth,
any of the topics (and many of the sub-topics) appearing on the
syllabus could be developed into an entire course. Nevertheless,
the syllabus does provide a skeleton that suggests the essential
reasons why our landscape appears as it does. With fundamental
understanding, students will be able to read this historic document,
to absorb some of the information that it holds, and to explore
other segments more deeply without losing sight of the basic structure.
Several themes will be traced throughout.
1. The discipline of historic preservation seeks to identify and
preserve those parts of our physical heritage that hold valuable
information about our culture. Evaluating historic significance
-- the process of selecting those monuments worthy of preservation
-- is fundamental, and the course will probe the means by which
we make this assessment. In short, what are the economic, social,
technological, political, aesthetic, and intellectual contributions
that any given part of our physical heritage makes?
2. At the same time, we should all be able to recognize and understand
the picture puzzle that is our cultural landscape without resorting
to structured analysis of historic significance. Hopefully this
will lead to a stronger understanding of American culture and
a deeper appreciation of all that surrounds us.
3. Historic preservation's emphasis on the built environment has
sometimes resulted in neglect of the natural environment and its
culturally assisted evolution. The unfortunate result is that
alliances with other disciplines that pursue goals common to those
of historic preservation have failed to materialize. The course
will make strong efforts to connect the two.
4. The study of methods for reading the landscape is as important
as learning about the history that exists if only we know where
to look. The course will seek to develop both goals.
5. The study of landscape history is one of examining overlapping
layers on the face of the land. Those layers can be confined to
a small area and be readily visible, for example a building with
clearly defined alterations added over the years. Alternatively,
the layers can be complex and difficult to separate, as in urban
areas where human existence has forced sweeping change over the
centuries.