Frank Furness was the most unique and prolific American architect of the nineteenth century. Apprenticed in the atelier of Richard Morris Hunt and inspired by the values of his father's friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Furness derived architectural form from the representation of purpose and turned architecture away from history toward the forces of the present.

This encyclopedic book is the first complete monograph of Furness's work. More than 670 projects are presented through 700 photographs and drawings.

Critical essays by George Thomas link Furness to Emersonian naturalism and to the political reform movement in Philadelphia that supported his independent stylistic direction; Jeffrey Cohen explores the personal style and motives of the architect; and Michael Lewis assesses local and national criticism of Furness and the changing perception of style-based history. An introduction by Robert Venturi offers a personal appreciation of the work of this remarkable architect.