The purpose of this thesis is to propose a methodology for documenting historic vernacular houses in Indiana through the Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory. The inventory, or survey, is an essential and primary component of historic preservation. With roughly one half of Indiana's counties remaining to be surveyed, there is great opportunity to improve the quality and usefulness of the surveys as scholarship regarding the built environment advances.The thesis examines the definitions of vernacular architecture and sets forth a working definition which is fairly broad in scope. Vernacular house types found in Indiana are enumerated, described, and illustrated.The thesis then examines Indiana's methodology for documenting historic vernacular houses, and it makes recommendations, based on methodologies from other states, for positive charges.This thesis proposes an interdisciplinary approach to conductingsurveys of historic vernacular houses. It draws heavily from related fields such as folklore and material culture studies as well as from several years of experience working CX1 survey projects.The thesis also examines settlement patterns in Indiana and other cultural, building-shaping factors. The thesis is intended to serve as a guide to the vernacular house types in Indiana for use by field surveyors. / Department of Architecture