I am seeking a children's picture book that was published in about
1945-1950 and was available in the New York City area.  I think the
title was something like, "The House That Mrs. Caliper Built."  The
story was about a woman who built a little house and then gradually
added on new rooms to the house until the house became a large, funny
mixture of shapes and styles.  Thank you.

Hi scarsdalekid,

This must be the book you are looking for:

TITLE / AUTHOR / ILLUSTRATOR:

Title: Mrs. Caliper's house.
Author: Muriel Cooke [and Headley & Anne Harper]
Illustrator: by Sherman Cooke

PUBLICATIONS:

1. NY: A.A. Knopf, 1943
unpaginated [63p]: colour illus. 24 x 18 cm.

2. Eau Claire, Wis. E.M. Hale, 1943
unpagedinated: colour illus. 24 x 18 cm.
 
DESCRIPTION:

"'Nonsense picture story book about Mrs. Caliper, who was so very
friendly that she invited everyone who came along to live in her
house. Rooms were added for the farmer, the milkmaid, the small boy
Peter, and at last for the old lighthouse keeper. Finally rooms had to
be built on top of the house, which made it possible to expand almost
indefinitely.'"
://www.google.ca/search?q=cache:e7UmRozusk8J:www.logan.com/loganberry/stump-ef.html+cooke+%22Mrs.+Caliper%27s+House%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

THREE COPIES FOR SALE:

Ex-library book for $17.00:
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1943. Hard Cover. Good:
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=222019030

Good condition for $37.00:
WI: E. M. Hale & Company 1943. Hardback. Book in good condition. Red
cover with a different looking house on the front, e.g. cow peering
over the roof!:
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=193798508

Good+ with Good+ dustjacket for $45.00:
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1943. Good +. in Good + dj. 52 pgs.
Interior- Flawless. The boards and DJ have only light signs of use w/
light staining on the back of the DJ. Stated 1st Edition. Binding is
Hard Cover.:
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=196536864

If you have any questions, please post a clarification request before
rating my answer, I'll be happy to help.

To find the correct title, I typed "Mrs. house" in the "title" field
at Abebooks. It produced over 300 hits and I just scanned each book
until I came upon "Mrs. Caliper's House".

Enjoy your "new book".
Sincerely,
hummer

And to see the real thing, visit the Winchester Mystery House in San
Jose, California.

http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/story.html

Mrs. Winchester, widow of the rifle (and roller skates) maker and heir
to his fortune, was allegedly told by a fortunmeteller that as long as
she kept building on her little house, she would never die.  The
sprawling mansion that was once a modest farmhouse is a major tourist
attraction in the Bay Area.  Windows in floors, one-inch-deep
cupboards, and staircases that lead to dead ends at the ceiling are
among the many curiosities of this house, a testimony to her fanatical
commitment to endless construction that did not, after all, secure her
immortality, except metaphorically.

If you are in the area around Hallowe'en, try a nighttime tour by
flashlight.

Apteryx