Protect Our Past
Cape Cod’s Pattern Book
The Architecture, History, and Charm of Homes with a Past
$17.95 · Paperback · Published 2026 · ISBN 979-8-9904879-3-2
(Online ordering coming soon — this button will be wired up once shipping/payment details are finalized)
Pattern books are guides to the classic and varied architectural styles of an era and communities.
Often published by architects, the goal of the original pattern book centered on defining designs and building methods. This book reaches out to all, highlighting exterior architectural styles and interior details with hand-drawn images, photographs, and, a history of each style. Add in stories of past owners and stewards of these historic properties . . . and this pattern book becomes unique.
Cape Cod’s Pattern Book delves into noteworthy styles from the 17th to the 20th centuries including Modernist and unique structures such as the Octagonal House in Hyannis and the Dome in Woods Hole.
What’s Inside
Fourteen chapters tracing Cape Cod home styles from the 1600s to the mid-20th century — each with hand-drawn illustrations, historic photographs, and the stories of the people who lived in them.
- Colonial Period Saltbox — 1630s–1740s
- Colonial Period ‘Early Capes’ — 1650s–1820s (Half, Three-Quarter & Full Cape)
- Georgian — 1700s–1780s
- Two-Story Gambrel — 1750s–1830s
- Two-Story Federal — 1780s–1830s
- 19th Century ‘Federal Cape’ — 1780s–1850s
- Greek Revival — 1820s–1860s
- Gothic Revival — 1840s–1880s
- Italianate — 1840s–1880s
- Second Empire/Mansard — 1850s–1880s
- Queen Anne — late 1870s–1910s
- Shingle Style — 1880s–1920s
- Late 19th/Early 20th Century Colonial Revival — 1880s–1950s
- Plus: famous Cape architects, rare styles, preservation resources & more
A Peek Inside
The Full Cape chapter pairs the classic floor plan with the real story of Captain Davis Maraspin’s home on Barnstable Harbor — and his wife Dorothy, who rose to Commander in the Navy.
A spotlight on Cape Cod’s architectural oddities — Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic Dome in Woods Hole, the Octagonal House in Hyannis, and a c.1690 home moved to save it from a parking lot.
Hand-drawn elevations label the character-defining details of each style — here, the Palladian windows and eyebrow dormers of Shingle Style homes.
Why Protect Our Past Wrote This Book
Protect Our Past is dedicated to preserving historic sites through advocacy, education, storytelling, and social media campaigns — the Pattern Book and more — to amplify the need for preserving our architectural heritage.
Our mission is rooted in the belief that historic buildings are more than just structures; they are works of art that provide a unique sense of place and identity. By protecting these homes and streetscapes, we preserve our architectural environment and ensure that future generations can enjoy and learn from our rich history.
Get Your Copy
$17.95 · Paperback · Ships from Protect Our Past
(Online ordering coming soon)
“A society is defined not only by what it creates, but what it refuses to destroy.”
— John Sawhill