Making Houses, Crafting Capitalism: Builders in Philadelphia, 1790–1850. By Donna J. Rilling. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001. Pp. xii, 261. $45.00.

Extract

Early-nineteenth-century master house builders were not just craftsmen, they were surveyors, architects, financial managers, employers, and contractors. They typically went through an apprenticeship, but they also might have attended night school to hone their drafting and drawing skills. Journeyman work typically followed for at least a few years (paid either by the piece or by day, depending on the job and time of year), although a carpenter's first “independent” project could follow closely on the heels of an apprenticeship. The timing depended on the individual's own risk taking, as well as the ability to raise sufficient capital either to build speculatively or fulfill a custom home order. According to Donna Rilling, “the route to craft autonomy … lay in advance building of brick row houses” (p. 67).