Bringing together scholarship in diverse fields - including architecture, geography, folklore, anthropology, and urban studies - the seventeen essays in this volume confirm the transformations now occurring in the study of vernacular architecture. Moving away from a single vision of vernacular architecture that consisted only of old, rural, handmade structures built in traditional forms and materials for everyday use, scholars are exploring a wider variety of forms and landscapes - from company towns to grand expositions. Drawn from two conferences of the Vernacular Architecture Forum - one held in Charleston in 1994, the other in Ottawa in 1995 - these essays address a broad range of topics.

Since precolonial times, agriculture has been deeply woven into the fabric of Pennsylvania’s history and culture. Pennsylvania Farming presents the first history of Pennsylvania agriculture in than more sixty years and offers a completely new perspective. Sally McMurry goes beyond a strictly economic approach and considers the diverse forces that helped shape the farming landscape, from physical factors to cultural repertoires to labor systems. Above all, the people who created and worked on Pennsylvania’s farms are placed at the center of attention. More than 150 photographs inform the interpretation, which offers a sweeping look at the evolution of Pennsylvania’s agricultural landscapes right up to the present day.