S. B. (Samuel Burrage) Reed

Born in Meriden, Connecticut, on January 7, 1834, Samuel Burrage Reed was trained first as a carpenter and went on to build a career as an architect in the northeastern United States. He was active in New York and New Jersey and became known for designing houses, churches, and other buildings during the second half of the nineteenth century.

Reed is also remembered as the author of practical architecture books aimed at a broad audience rather than specialists alone. Works associated with him include House-Plans for Everybody, Cottage Houses for Village and Country Homes, and Modern House-Plans for Everybody, books that combined floor plans, illustrations, and cost-conscious advice for readers interested in building comfortable homes.

That mix of professional experience and plainspoken guidance gives his writing its lasting appeal. His books capture a moment when architectural pattern books helped families, builders, and small communities imagine what a modern home could be.