Homes in the Heartland

• By: Fred W. Peterson
• Format: Paperback, 312 pages, 162 b&w photos, 1 table, 10.5 x 9 in.
• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Usually ships in: 1 to 3 business days
• ISBN: 978-0816653539

Balloon Frame Farmhouses of the Upper Midwest

Discover the architecture and construction behind the ubiquitous farmhouses of the Midwest.

Homes in the Heartland offers a captivating explanation of the revolutionary balloon frame house construction that swept across Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin from 1850 to 1920, enabling the settlers of the upper Midwest to build affordable permanent structures in which to establish frontier homes.

Featuring more than 150 illustrations, including photographs and house plans, Fred W. Peterson leads readers through the technical aspects of farmhouse construction and discusses the social, economic, and aesthetic values of these familiar homes. Together these narratives provide a fascinating window into the lives of the people who occupied these houses. As the American Historical Review

Fred W. Peterson is professor emeritus of art history at the University of Minnesota, Morris.