The Late Nineteenth Century landscape of houses was characterized by variety - Queen Anne, Eastlake, Stick, to name a few. These homes are often put under the aegis "Victorian" as a means of identifying houses that defy precise stylistic categorization. Linda Smeins explores the development of these homes, considered the new "modern suburban homes" of the late nineteenth century, whose designs were widely circulated in architectural pattern books.

Through a discussion of pattern book designs, plans and pattern book-inspired houses, Smeins traces the evolution of this architectural style and the advance of American suburban development to explore the meanings embodied in the notions of home, community and American identity. Building an American Identity is an excellent resource for architectural historians, historic preservationists, educators and anyone interested in the social history behind the building of America's Victorian homes.