Minard Lafever, an American architect and author who was active during the first half of the 19th century. He is best known for his designs for religious and educational buildings, though his influence on the home building may be more recognizable to the general public. Lafever’s books, “The Beauties of Modern Architecture” and “The Modern Builders’ Guide,” which were published in the early nineteenth century were influential in spreading the use of mouldings in American architecture and were a widely used reference for builders and architects.
For further reading about Minard LaFever architecture, we recommend “The Modern Builder’s Guide: Minard LaFever” (1969) published by Dover Publications, Inc.