ABSTRACT
The Johnsons of New York: The Evolution of a
Vernacular Style, Ireland, New York, Ontario, and Quebec
Howard Smith
1996
The Johnsons of New York, produced a significant body of
architecture over a period of 118 years, spread over a considerable geographic area. Of
some 21 dwellings constructed eight are still standing in 1996, and the rest are fairly
well documented. We present an historic overview of the principal members of the family
engaged in the construction of the houses. The biographical segment of the report explains
the prominence of the family and emphasizes the impact of their actions on the society of
their day. The second part of the paper is a point by point report on the structure and
history of each of the fourteen structures to be treated in depth. Each of the structures
is applied to a template, making it possible to compare them at a glance. The third
section examines in detail the similarities between the structures and traces these
similarities to their respective roots, concluding that each generation of Johnson was
influenced by the constructions of the preceding generation. This influence was tempered
to some degree by the fashionable styles of the day, but the family style always
prevailed.
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