February’s book is one dear to my heart. “Uncommon Vernacular” is a truly wonderful book about the historic houses in my home county of Jefferson, West Virginia. John C. Allen Jr. has captured the beauty of still-existing late 18th and early 19th-century architecture that has made this area so special in the Shenandoah Valley’s history. Wisely choosing to have only black and white photographs (done by the very talented Walter Smalling, Jr.) the images capture the beautiful lines of a mantel in one of the seven Washington family homes; the funny little building I so remember from my childhood; the octagon-shaped office at the estate “Happy Retreat”; the majestic “Bellevue” overlooking the Potomac river in Shepherdstown, the state’s oldest town; and so many more. Over 700 images and drawings make this wonderful area come alive and give both the scholar and the enthusiast a wonderful experience.

To me, this is a walk through my childhood into many of the homes of my ancestors and the friends of my parents. I delighted in seeing the mantel of the small circa 1700’s house we lived in when I was a small child; this mantel in particular is important to one of our family’s “legends” as it was the one my older brother decided to nail his morning “catch” over when he was about 8. I can just imagine my mother’s horror.

For anyone who loves historic buildings, this is such a worthwhile addition to their library. I intend to give many as gifts knowing it will delight anyone with an interest in historic buildings. You can purchase this book at Amazon here.