The 1721 Architectural Manual Preserved in Tacoma
A rare volume of Palladio’s architectural rules, inherited by a Tacoma resident, offers a window into 17th-century construction methods.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A curious old-style book treating of the 'Five Orders of Architecture' is the pride and possession of Mr. W. L. Davidson, of 1109 North J street, Tacoma. This volume, which is a translation of Andrea Palladio’s first Italian edition, printed at Venice in 1570, came from the press in London in 1721. It was accompanied by illustrations of the original work. Andrea Palladio was an Italian architect born in 1508 who, believing Romans 'surpassed those who came after them in building,' took as his guide Vitruvius. The work includes rules for shaping the stones of a Roman arch, drying brick in the shade for two years, and specifies that timber should not be wrought under three years from the time the tree is felled. The book, with its old-style s's and capitalization of nouns, is an heirloom highly prized by the Davidson family. Recently, Architect Skillings of the Washington World’s Fair building had the book in his possession and considered it a valuable curio.
“Green timber not to be drawn in the dewy hours of morning, nor wrought under three years from the time the tree is felled.”
While modern Seattle architecture has shifted from Palladio’s Roman arches to glass towers, the preservation of historical craft knowledge remains a touchstone for local historians. This volume serves as an early example of the region's interest in classical aesthetics, which would heavily influence the design of public buildings throughout the Pacific Northwest in the following decades.
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