Architectural patterns: All the rage in the 1800s, antique house plans are still making dreams come true. (Collecting).(Brief Article)

Nineteenth-century Americans were mad for houses. With consummate passion and not a little bit of pride, they built their homes and filled them to overflowing, ever mindful that their creations were symbols of their social and financial status and aspirations. And to guide them in achieving the home of their dreams, they bought architectural pattern books, hundreds of which were published during the building boom of the Victorian years.

In the 1840s, pattern books were no longer being geared just toward carpenters and architects, but to homeowners, too. The volumes provided detailed blueprints, elevations, and instructions, enabling farmers, itinerant journeymen, and…