Examines key public, institutional, commercial, and residential building types since the founding of the nation to 1980. Such an approach to American architecture facilitates in-depth studies of like-purposed buildings, focusing on function and design through time. Categories could include state capitals, jails and prisons, places of worship, libraries, art academies and cultural institutions, railroad stations, banks, stores and so on. Students gain additional persepctive by examining the buildings' historical, cultural, and social contexts.