8The history of New England indeed, the history of the United States can be experienced firsthand by visiting the homes and estates of the region s most notable residents. From presidents and war heroes to icons of American literature and the arts, the grace and grandeur of these homes offer a glimpse into the lives of the people who shaped our nation. In New England s Historic Homes & Gardens, Kim Knox Beckius and photographer William H. Johnson breathe life into the history of the region s thirty-six most important and picturesque homes, from the earliest homesteads of the 1600s through the Gilded Age mansions of the early twentieth century. By revealing the human dramas that played out within these remarkable homes, Beckius traces the evolution of the American Dream. Paired with Johnson s exquisite photography, the result is a detailed study of the architectural features, landscape elements, and ingenuity that make these homes examples of classic American style.