author
Phil M. (Phil Madison) Riley
b. 1882
Best known for richly illustrated books on early American buildings, this writer helped bring the craftsmanship of colonial Salem and Philadelphia to life for modern readers. His work is especially appealing for listeners who enjoy architecture, local history, and the stories hidden in old houses.
1 Audiobook
The Colonial Architecture of Philadelphia
by Frank Cousins, Phil M. (Phil Madison) Riley
About the author
Phil Madison Riley was an American writer born in New Hampshire in 1882. Reliable catalog and edition records connect him with a small but notable body of early 20th-century books on architecture and craftsmanship, especially studies of historic buildings in Salem and Philadelphia.
He is best known for collaborations with photographer Frank Cousins, including The Wood-Carver of Salem: Samuel McIntire, His Life and Work (1916), The Colonial Architecture of Salem (1919), and The Colonial Architecture of Philadelphia (1920). These books combine close visual attention with clear historical explanation, making them useful both to general readers and to people seriously interested in American design history.
Some biographical databases list his full name as Phil Madison Riley and give his life dates as September 25, 1882, to February 21, 1926. While detailed personal information is limited in the sources I could confirm, his surviving books show a strong interest in preserving the look, structure, and artistic detail of early American architecture.