Rediscovering the Founding Fathers of American Architecture
July 10, 2006
As the architect of Monticello and the University of Virginia, among other masterful buildings, Thomas Jefferson is widely considered by contemporary academics to be the most skillful practitioner of early American architecture. In his new retelling, Howard argues persuasively that were it not for Dr. Fiske Kimball, a 20th-century scholar and historian who researched his architectural heritage, we might still think of Jefferson as primarily, and exclusively, a talented statesman. This is not an exhaustive biography—Howard has already written a definitive one on this subject. It's more like a one-act play that alternates between scenes set in Jefferson's late 18th century and Kimball's early 20th century, when he investigates numerous archives. We browse through Jefferson's library, peek over his shoulder as he writes letters and watch him sketch the European buildings that inspire him. Howard's narrative is particularly compelling as he takes us through the decades of efforts that went into Jefferson's laboratory of architectural experimentation—his country home, Monticello. For context, he also includes chapters featuring other practicing architects of the time—Pierre L'Enfant, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Charles Bulfinch. Overall, readers will likely find that Kimball's single-minded passion for all things Jefferson is contagious.
August 1, 2006
Thomas Jefferson is revered first and foremost as the "Apostle of Liberty," who authored our most sacred document, the Declaration of Independence. Any visit to Monticello or the University of Virginia campus confirms Jefferson's skill and aesthetic vision as an architect. Jefferson's accomplishments in that field were relatively obscure until the early twentieth century, when a young architect, Fiske Kimball, aided by his wife, extensively examined Jefferson's letters, rough sketches, and designs. Howard, who has previously written works on Jefferson's career and on colonial architecture, effectively combines the elements of narrative history and detective story. He tells his story by working forward in time, recounting Jefferson's achievements, and backward in time, uncovering those achievements. Howard asserts that Jefferson transformed American architecture from a building craft to an art form. Howard avoids reliance on technical jargon, so this work will have value for Jefferson enthusiasts as well as students of architectural history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)