Making Houses, Crafting Capitalism

Exploring the economic choices and daily work routines of house builders, Donna Rilling documents the vitality of small-producer capitalism in the early republic of the United States. Unlike the archetypal (if imaginary) artisan who pursued radical politics, resisted mechanized production, and decried competitive market relations, "men in the Philadelphia construction trades were aggressive and ingenious operators who plunged wholeheartedly into the dangers and rewards of capitalism" (p. vii). The key was building on speculation, an option even for lowly journeymen who gained access to lots through Philadelphia's unique system of ground rent. The proprietors of undeveloped tracts of land surrounding the city encouraged builders to erect suburban houses for a growing population. The ground-rent system meant that builders did not need to purchase lots outright, but rather agreed to pay an annual rent in perpetuity. Ground-lords often deferred rent payments for builders and advanced them capital for construction materials

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