The complete manual of constructing, decorating and furnishing homes for recreation and profit... 1940s style.

{HISTORY}

In the 1930s and 1940s, long before entrepreneurial spirits started building AirBnb's for an extra income, America was a buzz with the idea of building vacation cottages, summer getaway cabins and fishing lodges for personal recreation and/or added revenue. Simple, easy-to-build style homes with small footprints and floor plans started popping up in federal forests, on lakes, islands, mountains, and any place which offered a restful get-back-to-nature respite. 

The editors of Popular Science magazine first published How to Build Cabins, Lodges & Bungalows in 1934 as a way to explain in full do-it-yourself manner how to go about building seasonal structures that would offer enjoyment for years to come. So popular in its wealth of information, covering everything from building materials to finished interior decoration ideas, it went into multiple printings - two, three, four, seven, eight times over. When this edition was published in 1949, it was in its tenth printing. This was four years after WWII was over, the economy was recovering, and recreation, early retirement and the need to relax and enjoy life after a turbulent decade of war and anxiety were everyone's top priorities. 

This book showed you how to do everything from start to finish. The materials you needed, the floor plans, the site layout, the well, the fireplace, the front gate... everything was touched upon and talked about here so that you knew exactly what to do and how to build it including pitfalls and pests you might encounter along the way.

In addition to cabins, bungalows, and fishing/hunting lodges, there are a number of different plans for recreational tourism buildings too including bathhouses, walk-up take-out restaurants, and mini grocery supply/ice houses. 

A really fun book for anyone interested in building such a structure on their property whether for modern-day AirBnB rentals or for yourself, this book will produce a simple dwelling suited to co-exist within the gorgeous natural surroundings you adore.   All with authentic 1940s-style charm.  

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- The edition is the tenth printing published in 1949

- Contains 251 pages

- Includes over 200 diagrams and drawings that include floor plans, materials, construction steps and design options

- Includes original dust jacket

- Covering the following topics, readers will learn how to... select a site, estimate cost, lay the foundation, select materials, make log corners, build rafters, construct floors, make stairs, build porches, lay a roof, put up walls, construct a lodge, build tourist cabins, construct wayside stands, make windows, build doors, make shingle walls, build garages, construct shutters, prepare brick fireplaces, make chimneys, build tables and chairs, plan a water supply, arrange sewage disposal and prevent wood decay

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. The dust jacket bears some chippy areas along spine and top and bottom edge. The interior is clean bright with no spots, markings or ripped pages. A previous owners name is written on the inside front endpaper. The spine is tight and all pages are intact.

{SIZE}

Meaasures 8.25" inches (length) x 5.5" inches (width) x 1" inch (thickness) and weighs just under 1lb.

{FOR THE DIY LOVER}

Find more vintage house plan books and DIY projects here with this vintage 1950s handyman book and this vintage 1940s homebuilding book.