A Field Guide to American Houses with Amy Talkington

Journey With Purpose

Architectural history meets family road trips! Amy Talkington recalls her mother’s mission to protect historic neighborhoods and the creation of the iconic A Field Guide to American Houses. Dive into the world of architectural preservation, road trips, and the impact of one woman’s passion for saving America’s historic homes.

Amazing photo of Virginia by Steve Clicque, used with permission.

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Show notes & links

• Buy A Field Guide to American Houses here and subscribe to the Field Guide to American Homes Insta
• Learn more about Virginia Savage McAlester (wikipedia)
• Find out more about Amy Talkington: website, Insta
• Listen to the Abundance Proposals: King of Zoning & The City of Yes

View this profile on Instagram

A Field Guide To American Houses by Virginia Savage McAlester (@afieldguidetoamericanhouses) • Instagram photos and videos

Episode Takeaways

1. Virginia Savage McAllister’s Legacy: Virginia Savage McAllister, Amy Talkington’s mother, was an architectural historian and preservationist, most notably known for her book A Field Guide to American Houses.
2. Influence of A Field Guide to American Houses: The book, first published in 1984, is considered the “bible” for identifying American architectural styles and is widely used by preservationists, architects, realtors, and students.
3. Inspiration for the Book: Virginia’s passion for Dallas, particularly the Swiss Avenue Historic District, and her work in preservation, inspired her to create the book after realizing no comprehensive guide existed for identifying architectural styles.
4. Research Process: Virginia, along with her family, traveled across the U.S., painstakingly photographing and studying houses to document architectural details, a unique and hands-on research process.
5. Field Trips and Preservation Activism: Amy recalls being taken on trips where her mother would stop to photograph homes, even in the face of resistance from homeowners, and her mother’s determination to stop bulldozers from demolishing historic houses.
6. Family Influence: Virginia came from a family of strong Dallas figures. Her passion for preservation was deeply rooted in her family’s community involvement and activism, stretching back generations.
7. Virginia’s Methodical Nature: Virginia was thorough in all her work, from taking her grandchildren on meticulously planned trips to her detailed research process, instilling in her family the importance of diligence and passion.
8. Impact on Dallas: Virginia played a key role in preserving important Dallas neighborhoods and structures, including the Swiss Avenue Historic District and Fair Park, demonstrating her deep commitment to historical preservation.
9. Ongoing Legacy: Amy Talkington is continuing her mother’s work by launching an Instagram account to keep the book relevant to new audiences and to maintain Virginia’s legacy in architectural preservation.
10. Unfinished Work: Virginia was in the process of writing A Field Guide to American Buildings before her passing. The book is being completed by her colleagues and will be published in the near future, ensuring her contributions to preservation continue.

Guest Bio

Originally from Texas, Amy Talkington is an award-winning writer, director, producer and author currently living in Los Angeles. In the feature arena, Amy most recently wrote “Valley Girl” (MGM’s musical remake of the 80s cult film) and has written numerous other studio features that are in various phases of development, including “Undercover” at Lionsgate. In the television arena, Amy was a Co-Executive Producer and writer on Hulu’s hit series “Little Fires Everywhere” (starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington) for which she was nominated for both an EMMY and a WGA Award. Amy currently has multiple series in development including pilots at Max and 20th Television.

“She, woke me and my brother up at, 5 a. m., put us in the car and drove to the house and parked the car in front of the house to stop the bulldozers.”

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