1.127 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FINE ARTS LIBRARY Cornell University Library NA 7127.142 1915 Inexpensive homes of Individuality; being 3 1924 015 370 145 The original of this bool< is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924015370145 INEXPENSIVE HOMES OF INDIVIDUALITY BEING A COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND FLOOR PLANS ILLUSTRATING CERTAIN OF AMERICA'S BEST COUNTRY AND SUBURBAN HOMES OF MODERATE SIZE ^ NEIV AND ENLARGED EDITION Edited by HENRY H. SAYLOR. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY FRANK MILES DAY PAST PRESIDENT AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS AND A DISCUSSION OF COSTS BY AYMAR EMBURY, II NEW YORK McBRIDE, NAST & COMPANY 1915 A List of the Contributing Architects Albro & Lindeberg, 481 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y. William A. Bates, 25 W. 42nd St., New York, N. Y. Arthur B. Benton, 114 No. Spring St., Los Angeles, Cal. Lawrence Visscher Boyd, Harrison Building, Philadelphia, Pa. Lawrence Buck, 909 Steinway Hall, Chicago, 111. Duhring, Okie & Ziegler, 705 Bailey Building, Philadelphia, Pa. Aymar Embury, H., 1133 Broadway, New York, N. Y. J. Sumner Fowler, 19 Milk Street, Boston, Mass. Edmund B. Gilchrist, St. Martin's, Pa. J. Acker Hays, 2010 Broadway, New York, N. Y. Oswald C. Hering, i W. 34th St., New York, N. Y. Hollingsworth & Bragdon, Cranford, N. J. W. E. Jackson, 929 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Charles Barton Keen, 1008 Bailey Building, Philadelphia, Pa. McHvain & Roberts, 1517 Land Title Annex Building, Philadelphia, Pa. Mellor & Meigs, 821 Lafayette Building, Philadelphia, Pa. Christopher Myers, 460 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair, N. J. Ernest Newton, London, England. Joseph W. Northrop, Court Exchange, Bridgeport, Conn. Squires & Wynkoop, 27 E. 22nd St., New York, N. Y. F. M. Summerville, i Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y. Tallmadge & Watson, 188 E. Madison St., Chicago, III. /3 9 9'-^ f'o 6 Copyright, 1912, by McBride, Nast & Company Published January, 1912 Choosing a Style for the House /^ NE is sometimes asked whether there are not some fundamental ^^^ principles which should control the choice of style for any given building, and especially of a dwelling house, in which fashion rather than reason so often dominates. Without attempting to beg the question, the first thing that occurs to me is that a deliberate choice of style is by no means essential, and is, indeed, often a grave hindrance to a right, reasonable, and beauti- ful solution of the problem of building. And by style, I here mean what is ordinarily meant by that word; that is to say, a well defined mode of building prevalent in some certain place and at some certain time. Normally, style of this sort originates from the needs of a people, from the materials at hand and from a desire to build with beauty; but in the course of its evolution it is always modified and held in control by the builder's knowledge of what has gone before or what is going on at his own time. Until the revival of learning, the age of the conscious, passionate striving to resurrect the glory of the classic ages, there were but few, if any, deliberate attempts to hark back to an earlier manner of building. The ancients had done that sort of thing in sculpture when they had imitated the early work of their forbears in a way which, strive as it might, could not seize the real archaic spirit, the way we now call archaistic. But in archi- tecture it is hard to put one's finger on that sort of thing earlier than the time of the Renaissance. Then, gradually, the old order gave [3] 4 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality way to the new. To be sure, even after the change, the needs of the people had to be met, and their needs were very different from those of the ancient Romans, but, such as they were, they were met in the way in which the men of the Renaissance thought the men of the Augustan era would have met them. And thus for the first time arose the question of a deliberate choice of style, a resuscitation of a way of bviildlng in use in other ages and ii'i^V'\\'* A modern English country home at Wokingham, Berkshire, that indicates the development of Georgian work in recent years Ernest 'Newton, architect under other conditions. And this is what we have been trying to do ever since, only we out-Herod Herod. The men of the Renaissance were in unison as to the style they wanted to Imitate. We do not know our own minds ; we do not know what age, what country to set up as our standard, and the voices that would guide us are crying in this wilderness of indecision. But there is one thing well known, completely agreed upon by all who have given serious thought to it: — that it is not by the copying of the outward forms of any architectural Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 5 style that we can hope to make our work vital and worthy. If from a plan suited to the needs of a given building, if from a reasonable and appropriate choice and handling of materials, there should grow beauty, it is all that we can ask and all that we need to ask. Simple as it sounds, the doing of the thing is difficult beyond conception. Few can do it well or even passably. Granted that this is the right way, the only way by which we can hope to make buildings tiuthful and A country home at Pleasantville, JS. Y. There is an interesting and unusual use of stonework in the circular columns supporting the wide overhang William A. Bates, architect beautiful and eloquent of their time and place, it Is easy to see how a choice of style from a priori considerations is a most grave hindrance to the following of it. And having said all this, I am prepared to grant, paradoxical as it may seem, that style in architecture is the one quality that above all others secures for a building the esteem of generations of men. But style in this sense is not an affair of archaeology but an abstract quality, a subtle excellence very hard to define. Perhaps it may be made 6 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality clear by comparison with that same quality of style as we think of it in the sister art of literature. If the work of a writer reaches real distinction, It may well be assumed that It has the quality we call style, and we do not demand that this style be that of a definite school. We do not ask him to write like an Elizabethan dramatist, or a Georgian essayist, or a pre-Raphaelite poet. If he have something A house at Woodmere, L. I., that is frankly an adaptation of the American farmhouse to modern needs Charles Barton Keen, architect [See also page 26] worth saying, and if he surround the saying of It with that Indefinable thing called literary style, it is enough. Now this precisely is the sort of style that we should demand of the architect. That he know the grammar of his art, that he plan simply and directly, that he build strongly. Is not enough. Has his work expression? Has It the high quality of style? Has It, In other words, an excellence of design that raises It to the plane of serious consideration? This, after all, is the thing that is to distinguish his work from that of his fellows. And how have such of our architects as have striven for It suc- ceeded In making houses Interesting and beautiful without resorting to the easy trick of using a definite historic style? Fortunately there are many examples in which, by the use of local materials, well com- Inexpensive Homes of Individuality J posed masses and simple details, entirely satisfactory, even altogether admirable results have been reached. It is no longer necessary to select specimens. Our domestic architecture to the discriminating eye furnishes them in abundance. Here we find one in which the local stone, bearing ruddy stains from the iron in it, is the chief element; there a cool grey micaschist, handled in traditional ways, but with freshness and a personal note; and again others In which the simplicity and directness of the design and qualities of freedom, charm and expression make them worthy of all consideration. This Is the style, conditioned on local material, vocal of our own time and place; reasonable, appropriate but nameless, that should come naturally to us. Unfortunately, we use the same word to Indicate the high degree of excellence in architectural design of which I have been speaking, and also to indicate a manner of building in vogue In a certain country at a certain time. But let us avoid confusion by recognizing the fact that while style In Its higher sense may be present In a work which it Is quite impossible to tag with an archseologlcal label, it may equally be present In a work of the most definite archaeological sort. On the other hand we must bear In mind that a work filled with archaeological accuracy may be quite devoid of style In the truer, higher sense. But this high quality of style is, after all, not the sort in which our questioner is Interested. He is concerned with something far less subtle. Is his home to recall a Tudor manor, a Tuscan villa, a chateau by the Loire, or a Virginia homestead? The world is all before him where to choose. Unfortunately he demands guidance as to his choice and Insists that this guidance shall be based on fundamental principles and not on mere fashion or personal Inclination. Now while I am convinced that this question Is not a profitable one, and that It gives rise to negative results, I am willing to make some inquiry for possible answers. Let us ask then what things we might suppose would influ- ence the style of a house. Here certainly are some of them: a. The kind of country In which the house is to be built, flat or rolling, mountainous, wooded or open. b. Neighboring buildings, especially if of a definite type. c. Local materials and traditional ways of building. 8 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality d. The owner's individuality and mode of life. e. The architect's personality, training and predilections. The Site of the House The site unquestionably should have a very great influence upon the plan of the house, but it seems to have far less influence on the choice of style than one would imagine. Let us for a moment con- ceive the site as a broad plain near a river. Some old Georgian manor, Groombridge Place, let us say, seems perfectly suited to such a site. On the other hand, can we name any style that our ques- tioner might have in mind that does not furnish admirable solutions of this very problem? Even so animated a style as that of the early Renaissance in France gives us Josselyn by its rolling river, or Che- nonceaux, spanning the quiet waters of the Cher. Perhaps we might generalize by saying that long level lines harmonize best with such quiet stretches of landscape and that, therefore, we should choose some style in which they predominate, were it not that we are dum- founded by the thought of Azay, with its strong verticals and its agitated roof lines, looking supremely beautiful in broad meadows with the folds of the Indre wrapped about its base. If our house is to be set upon some steep hillside, some cliffy place, surely we may find guidance in such a spot. Obviously, your quiet Georgian thing is out of keeping here. Strong upright lines, well marked parts, a vivacious sky-line suggest themselves. St. Fagan's near Llandaff is quite as it should be. Quite naturally one's mind runs off to Scotland with its inimitable hillside gardens such as Barncluith, only to remember that the greatest charm of these places is the long level lines of their terraces, rising one above another, and that Earlshall, a house that corresponds well with our imagined character, is really set down in a perfectly level place. Thus, in the first effort to find an answer, we reach a result quite useless, to our questioner. Let him get but a clever enough worker in archcEological legerdemain and his house shall look well (so it might seem) in any style he is pleased to name, and on any site that he is pleased to buy. Yet we know very well that it will not, for we have seen the experiment tried too often. Inexpensive Homes of Individuality Neighboring Buildings That we owe a duty to our neighbors in the choice of style is a fact too often ignored. If buildings exist which, when our own is finished, will group with it, we must not ignore them, for in such an instance our building is but a part of the whole composition and, unless we are utterly selfish, we must seek the best result for the whole rather than for a part. In Europe this thought obtains more accept- ance than among us, for in many cities municipal regulations are so framed and enforced as to secure a certain uniformity of design. An example of the old English work where the walls are partly of brick and partly of half-timber work. Much of the charm in these English cottages is due to the mellowing influence of time monotonous perhaps, but decent, orderly and quiet. Here, and espe- cially in our suburban communities, so little harmony is seen that it is clearly a case of each one for himself and the Devil take the hinder- most. Local Traditions and Materials Had we definite local traditions in the art of building, we might make some steady advance, building In the way of our fathers but better and more beautifully. In the States of the Atlantic seaboard lO Inexpensive Homes of Individuality The Home of Mr. W. H. Hart, Cornish, N. H. — A striking exannple of the possibilities that lie in old farmhouses. With very slight alterations and a particularly well thought out planting scheme, he has transformed this century-old house into a most attractive country home. there were once such traditions, but we have broken with them and the return to them must be made with conscious effort, an effort that results in our Colonial revival. But for the most part, throughout our land there is no local way of building that rises above the common- place. This is partly due to the fact that we are no longer compelled to use the materials that the neighborhood of the building offers. Time was, and that not a hundred years ago, when, lacking water transportation, such materials had to be used. And so strongly marked is the influence of that use of local materials that, to take an example from Great Britain, one familiar with its cottages might, if dropped down at random anywhere in the Island, make from them alone a shrewd guess as to his whereabouts. Thus, if he saw a certain kind of cottage he would know that he was on that land of limestone that extends from Somerset to the dales of Yorkshire. If the houses were of a soft, warm sandstone, he might know that he had fallen in Cheshire or Shropshire, or Hereford. Even there, he might see half- timbered cottages of great beauty, but by the way in which the timber Inexpensive Homes of Individuality II is used, he would be very sure that he was not In Kent or Sussex, where half-timber work equally abounds. And now let us take as an example of the influence of material upon construction, and therefore upon style, some simple Kentish cottages of half-timber work. Upon a brick or stone base a heavy sill piece was laid, and upon this upright story posts, eight or nine inches square, were fixed. Those at the angles were larger and formed of the butt of a tree placed root upwards, with the top part curving diagonally outwards to carry the angle post of the upper story. On these uprights rested another larger timber, a sort of sill piece for the second story. On this in turn rested the beams of the second floor, their ends projecting some eighteen inches and carrying the overhanging second story wall, which was constructed like that of the first. The divisions between the up- rights were filled with wattles or laths and chopped straw and clay or sometimes even with bricks, and the surface plastered flush with the face of the timbers. Such a method of construction, direct and truthful and beautiful as The English half-timber house as usually built in this country is merely a plaster house covered with wooden strips in a pattern. Here, however, the timbers are a structural part of the wall Oswald C. Hering, architect 12 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality it is, has defects in the shrinkage of its timbers and consequent open- ness to the elements, so grave that houses thus built have, in many cases, been protected at a later date by tile hanging or sometimes by exterior plastering or by weather-boarding. So that it often happens A particularly interesting house at Colonia, N. J., that owes its inspiration to the old Dutch work of that locality George A^ichols, architect if we hunt beneath such protection, we find the original half-timber cottage intact. Such a method of construction is obviously impossible for us to-day. For were we willing to pay the cost incident to shaping the timbers by hand, we would not tolerate a leaky wall. Yet, more's the pity, we are forever making the attempt to have the semblance without the reality. We build an honest brick wall, nail strips of wood against it and plaster the space between them. What a pre- posterous imitation of a once reasonable construction. Thus, I say, where a traditional style of building existed, it was modified, its evolution was assisted by the limitations imposed by the Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 13 use of local materials. But how is it with us who lack a local tradition and who are no longer bound to the use of materials at hand? Mod- ern facilities of transportation have actually made it, in many cases, difficult and expensive to employ the material at hand, so that the place where the building is to be erected has but httle influence on the choice of materials and consequent development of style. To-day it is cheaper to build a house in Maine of wood from Oregon than of granite quarried within a mile, or to finish the rooms with cypress from the Gulf of Mexico than with white pine from the Pine Tree State. Such are the anomalies of the exhaustion of natural resources, of the use of machinery, of high-priced labor and of cheap transporta- tion. Predilections of the Architect The owner's personality and his mode of life should, of course, exercise an influence on the style of his house. If he be a man of quiet tastes, fond of home life, not given to lavish entertainments, those qualities should be expressed by a restrained, a modest domestic feeling in the treatment of the house, that it is almost impossible to express in certain well-marked historic styles. The minor English buildings, the farmhouses of Normandy, even our own Colonial houses, offer starting points for such a case. But, granted that the man be a millionaire, with an established position in society, or even with aspirations for it, his house must be a far different affair, suitably planned for entertaining many people, and expressed In some formal, well digested style such as that of Louis XVI. Indeed the selection of a style suitable for a million-dollar " cottage " at Newport Is far less difficult than the finding of the right expression for a suburban home of moderate size. The owner's training, his inclinations, too, must not be forgotten. A man with a well-marked bias in favor of all French things, would naturally choose one of the French styles for his house. One full of enthusiasm for all things Italian might well be pardoned for giving his house a distinctly Italian form. But these are exceptions. Not one in a thousand of us has any intellectual bias so strongly marked as to justify Its expression In the style of his house. It is obvious that the architect's training and predilections for certain styles will, in the main, exercise a far greater H Inexpensive Hojues of Individuality influence on the house than will those of the owner. The men who achieve most by working in definite styles are those who entertain the most positive convictions that the style of their choice is without question the only right, the only logical style for our times. It is Based on modern English work but not to the sacrifice of a straight- forward development of plan in simple materials Squires ^ Wynkoop, architects Mr. Ralph Adams Cram's firm conviction that the abandonment of the Gothic style brought about the ruin of all that was noblest in the art of architecture. It is his almost religious zeal for a revivifi- cation of that style that gives to his designs their absorbing interest. It is because Thomas Hastings believes we will achieve no worthy end unless we succeed in making our work an evolution from the French styles of the eighteenth century, and it is because of his knowl- edge of and devotion to those styles that his work reaches so high a plane of urbanity and courtliness. It was because Mr. Charles McKim had an ineradicable conviction that it is from Italy, whether of the classical times or of the Renaissance, that we should draw our inspiration, that he could clothe the needs of our own time in a garb that Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 15 for dignity of manner and for perfection of proportion and of detail often equals the best of the examples for which he showed such com- plete devotion. In the face of obsessions such as these, how futile It is for the owner to talk of choosing his own style. It is only when he selects an architect devoid of definite convictions that he will be confronted with his Imagined troubles. Yet in this connection another thing needs saying, and that is that the power these men have of producing work of great distinction comes, not alone from their definite convictions on the subject of style, but also, and this is far more important, from the fact that each Is an artist of such rare ability that even If he were set to work in an alien style he would design buildings of far greater interest than the work of most other men. "Cv-I I !^ '."M^.;,. .'..^fM,: An interesting combination of stucco with half-timber work in the gable ends to avoid monotony. The Germantown hood extending over the first-story windows is a purely American feature Duhring, Okie &' Ziegler, architects But after all the questioner insists upon a direct answer. If he must have it, even though it be an ideal diflScult of realization for men of this generation, It is precisely the thought I put forth a while ago, by saying that if the plan be a simple and direct expression of the needs and life of the people who are to live In the house, and if the i6 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality elevations are a logical expression of that plan, and if the whole be made beautiful and vocal of its time and place, then the building will have style in the best sense and will need none of that exotic or archaeological style that is the bane of so much of our work to-day. Frank Miles Day 1 M^imi^j^ . ',M^^.,M^ msmik A modern home at Cynwyd, Pa., showing a return to the stately high- columned Colonial porch that was common in the early Southern work Mcllvain &' Roberts, architects The Question of Cost pROBABLY the factor in six cases out of ten which determines the appearance of the exterior of the building is the question of cost, and I find that almost every one who intends to build a house makes some inquiry as to how much more his house would cost in brick or stone than in wood, and whether some of the comparatively new forms of construction, such as terra cotta blocks or concrete, are not cheaper than wood. The same answer does not always meet these questions; local conditions and factors have much to do with determining the cost of any particular sort of material, but there is one factor which is constant in any locality, and that is the comparative prices of labor In the several trades. Masons and carpenters are paid the same relative amounts all through the United States, and although at first sight it appears strange that a mason, whose work includes a small range of subjects, should be paid more than a carpenter, who must be a skillful mechanic in a wide range of sub-divisions of carpentry, the discrepancy arises from the fact that a mason Is very rarely busy more than two hundred to two hundred and twenty-five days a year, because of bad weather conditions; while a carpenter seldom loses a working day. The cost of the labor then In general Is greater for masonry structures than for frame, and for buildings of the same size the masons' materials must be greatly cheaper than lumber if the whole building Is to cost the same amount. Another factor which enters Into the cost Is that the carpenter deals In large pieces easily worked, [17] 1 8 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality while the mason deals in smaller pieces, or, in the case of stone walls, of medium-sized pieces hard to work. All the modern endeavors then at reducing the cost of masonry work have been to develop a material which was strong, light enough to be easily handled, of such shapes that little or no cutting is required, and large enough so that the amount of labor per piece is reduced; or by devising a material which could be handled by machinery and unskilled labor, to reduce A painted clapboard house costs about thirty cents per square foot of sur- face. On side walls painted boards are more enduring than stone or shingles the labor cost. The most successful material evolved along the first line of endeavor has been terra cotta, and along the second, concrete, and the manufacturers of the blocks, and of the cement used in making the concrete, have for the last three years been conducting an enormous and successful advertising campaign to awaken the country at large to the advantages of their several materials. Let us take up the various sorts of exterior wall construction used through the country and compare their costs, using the prices current around New York. Stone is the oldest of all building materials, and Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 19 probably under capable handling Is both the most attractive and durable material possible, but even where it is produced in abundance at or near the site of the house, it is the most expensive of all because of the difficulties attending its handling and shaping, to fit each piece for its particular position in the wall. Since cellar walls are almost entirely concealed in the ground, and very rough shapes can be used, where stone is abundant it is still the cheapest material for that work, costing about twenty-two cents a cubic foot laid in the wall, or since The first consideration in deciding upon a house of stone should be the possibilities of obtaining the material in the neighborhood. The vicinity of Germantown, Pa., for instance, offers a quantity of cheap stone that is most attractive a wall Is a foot and a half thick, about thirty-three cents per square foot of surface. The price of concrete, the usual competitor of stone for cellar walls, varies greatly with the locality. In New Jersey good, sharp sand for concrete has oftentimes to be hauled a considerable distance, and broken stone must be obtained from the nearest crusher. In Long Island, however, over a large portion of Its area there Is a mixture of natural sand and gravel which can be dug right out of the cellar of the house and makes excellent concrete with the addition of cement. On Long Island, therefore, cement Is the only material which costs anything and concrete work accordingly Is comparatively 20 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality cheap, costing for the concrete and labor of setting it, about twenty- two cents a cubic foot, beside five cents a square foot for forms. As the ordinary house wall would be lO inches thick, the cellar wall on Long Island would cost 5/6 of twenty-two cents, or, say, nineteen cents, and five cents for the forms, about twenty-four cents a square foot of surface. Concrete in New Jersey would cost nearly Half-timbering increases the cost of stucco on lath five cents a square foot. The stone foundation here is very expensive because of the carefully trimmed stone, and at the same time is less attractive 50 per cent, more, bringing its cost about equal to or slightly above that of the stone. Brick foundation walls would be 12 inches thick and would cost forty-five cents a square foot for a 12-inch wall, about 40 per cent, more than stone or concrete. Now above the foundation work in spite of the arguments advanced by the terra cotta block and cement manufacturers the ordinary frame wall Is still the cheapest thing to use, although with the growth of knowledge on the part of the builders and masons of how to lay terra cotta blocks on the one hand and the increasing price of lumber on the other, it will probably not be very long before these values are equal. An ordinary wooden wall built up of studs, cross braced, with Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 21 sheathing on the outside, and paper over the sheathing, is worth about eleven cents a square foot, and either shingles or clapboards add about nine cents a square foot to its cost. Stucco on wire lath costs twenty cents a foot. This figure is based on using a high grade galvanized material with metal furring strips to hold it away from the paper so as to give a clinch for the stucco. Stucco on wood lath, though some- Although pleasing roof lines are obtained by use of shingles laid to imitate thatch, the cost of materials and labor is greatly increased Albro &^ Litidebers, arcJiitccis what cheaper, should not be used because of its tendency to crack because of the expansion and contraction of the wooden lath. A terra cotta block wall 8 inches thick is worth about twenty-five cent a square foot to lay, but it needs a finishing material, either a brick facing or stucco. As the brick is little used we will consider the price of the stucco, fourteen cents a square foot, making a total cost of a terra cotta block wall stuccoed, thirty-nine cents a square foot, as opposed to thirty-one cents for a frame wall stuccoed. A rough brick wall is worth forty-five cents a square foot, 12 inches thick, and the stucco on it would again cost fourteen cents a square 22 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality foot, or fifty-nine cents a square foot for the wall finished. A face brick wall is worth about fifty-five cents a square foot. Stone walls above the first floor require careful facing and laying, and the ordinary type of stone house walls, such as used in many of the houses around Philadelphia and a few around New York, are i8 inches thick and worth about fifty cents a cubic foot or seventy-five cents a square foot of surface. None of these prices on exterior walls have included the Where stone is used, a wall of cobbles is the most economical. Here only the end walls are stone; the rest, covered by the projecting roof, is of stucco over a frame wall Charles Barton Keen, architect cost of the interior plastering or outside painting, which must also be considered. Plastering a terra cotta wall directly on the back of the blocks costs six cents a square foot, while lath and plaster on the frame wall costs about seven cents a square foot. For a stone or brick wall, furring strips must be run vertically, to nail the lath, at an additional cost of about two cents a foot, making the cost of the in- terior plastering nine cents. These prices I have found to be those usually employed in estimating by the contractors with whom I have worked in the neighborhood of New York City, and do not include any profit. I have also had them checked by a contractor of skill Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 23 and wide experience, and he believes with me that they represent about the average prices of thoroughly good work around New York. The table given below gives these results in a condensed form and may be of use to prospective house builders: FOUNDATION WALLS Total COSt Per sq. ft. Per sq. ft. Stone (where abundant) $0.33 Forms for concrete $0.05 Concrete (Long Island) 19 .24 Concrete (Elsewhere) 30 .35 Brick 12 in. thick .45 UPPER WALLS Wood Rough framing $0.1 1 Shingles 09 $0.20 Clapboards 09 Painting (3 coats) 03 .23 Stucco on wire lath 20 .3 1 Terra Cotta Stucco on blocks $0.14 Blocks 8 in. thick 25 $0.39 Blocks ID in. thick 29 .43 Brick Brick wall 12 in. thick $0.45 $0-45 Brick wall with face brick -55 Brick wall and stucco 14 -59 Stone Cobble stone pointed $0.60 Rough squared and rough faced ■ .75 24 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality PLASTERING Per sq. ft. Plaster on terra cotta blocks $0.06 Lath and plaster frame wall 07 Furring lath and plaster, and plaster on brick or stone 09 SUMMARY, INCLUDING PLASTER Per sq. ft. Frame wall and shingles $0.27 Frame wall and clapboards painted . . . Frame wall and stuccoed Frame wall, stuccoed with half-timber. 8 in. terra cotta block wall stuccoed . . . 10 in. terra cotta block wall stuccoed . . 12 in. face brick wall 12 in. brick wall stuccoed 18 in. cobble stone wall 18 in. rough squared stone wall 30 38 43 45 49 64 68 69 84 Aymar Embury, II. Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 25 Mr. Flagg's cottage is an excellent example of how the very smallest country or suburban home that is really livable can be made attractive. The use of the heavy brick piers at the corners, with an unusual pattern of brickwork filling below the windows, and stucco walls above, makes the house particularly well worth studying. - OOTTAaL- FO& -Mt J LLY O FLA^G JE. •■ r,- lHfliigfir-Ata.y W E Jackson, Archt 30 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality Where there is an abundance of local stone it is usually an economical plan to utilize it for the foundations and chimneys, securing an appearance of stability that cannot be had in a structure built of wood BEPHSDM 10'' IZ' ©ALConr The screened porch at the rear is used for the kitchen work. The one in the front, by reason of its nearness to the kitchen, is frequently used as an outdoor dining-room BUNGALOW OF LEE A. McCONNELL, ALTADENA, CAL. A. B. Benton, architect Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 31 The second floor is made larger than the first by carrying the roof and long dormer out over the side porch The long porch as seen from the garden. The lattice screen covers the end, securing greater privacy THE HOME OF MR. W. A. BOLAND, YONKERS, N. Christopher Myers, architect > rt ^^ k. ■O^ ^ OJ >, cj .i:; XI -a -o „ a *. -a < a O J3 M PS -s s o c " S "° ^ c ° V *^ QJ >-i O XI « ■a a, "• 9 > C/3 z z; w Pi H z o w o p^ h <; w I o [37] [38] Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 39 Pc^pr n/ FIRST rLoa PlJ\T^ ff SECOrfD rLO< A dining-porch secluded from the street is a A sleeping-porch is reached from the feature of the first story owner's and boys' bedrooms The dining-room porch is made bright with an ingenious type of window-box which is supported in sections on legs supplied with castors. In this way a great variety of arrangement may be secured and the boxes may be turned to bring the other side to the light when needed THE HOME OF MR. R. M. ROLOSON, EVANSTON, ILL. Tallmadge ^ Watson, architects 40 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality The Flemish bond brickwork, dark-stained shingles, the plaster-and-timber gable ends and the white trim of the windows, give a broad variety of materials that needs careful handling to be effective THE HOME OF MR. JOSEPH ^ W. NORTHROP, ARCHITECT BRIDGEPORT, CONN. An ingenious arrangement of central stair- case, rear stairs and passageway, by which the maid can reach the front door without passing through any room, is the most instructive feature of the first-story plan Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 41 An attractive variety of mass is gained for the nearly square house by the stepped-back gables in the roof and the echo of these marking the front door THE HOME OF MR. JOSEPH W. NORTHROP, ARCHITECT BRIDGEPORT, CONN. The rear stairs join the main flight upon a landing somewhat below the second floor. A central stairway and hall, if it can be satisfactorily lighted, usually provides the most economical arrange- ment of space for the bedrooms 5C>\L£ m rttT ' ^B -a Q ^S o O ^m ■M O '-^m J3 ^ ^ -H'a. w -a j= O Q Pi ^ *t^ ^ 5l H ^ O w c a H '4-i Mh HH § = ffi - £ O Ml S < bH W J ,f','d > "^ J '^"^ ° fe- KH 'm > •^% g.M p:; i ^ OJ u w M § ^ •" 2 ^ '';^ p ^Wa ■4-J -4-1 CO '*-. ■3 S ^ .2 a p^; > J*, r* aJ , < c« J3 Pi; IJ ^ [in O W ''.n p o » * o X ,*" « w "qj ffi ' \^ QJ h s 3 , ,V' t^ [42] Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 43 The plan, being nearly square, is a most The long slope of the roof to the left, shel- economical one to build, and its arrange- tering the porch, gives opportunity for a ment utilizes much space that is usually broad dormer that results m alcoves with vpasted in the hall built-in seats in two bedrooms A rather unusual variety in wall texture has been »cCu,ed b> using broad courses stained shingles below, narrower courses of lighter shingles across the second story and dark, vertically-battened boards in the gable ends HOME OF F. M. SUMMERVILLE, Architect, RIDGEWOOD, N. J. 44 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality In the living-room the chimney-breast and the woodwork on the ceiling and side walls, while simple, help to furnish the room H^ iAt.-tAi5vfcY-ii • AtcHiT-myfWfr't-Y-a- FIEtJT • FILaOH..PI.AN-' The first-floor plan shows the now fairly common type of house where a central hallway divides the large living-room from the dining-room and service portion. Usually, however, on a lot restricted in width the kitchen is at the back ■ HOVOI. ■ FOR, ■ W-OHA3 • F • PAR-X! • • UTCLLVCDP • /V; J • ■AYM.ht^-lMbVILr • 11 • ARXU^LT^ lIMr.lMr.lf-Y-C- O'LCOrrP ■ FLCDE/-PI.AN-'- Two unusually generous bedrooms are found on the second floor, with two smaller ones, two baths, a dressing-room and a fairly large linen-room. On the third floor there are two additional rooms lighted by the gable-end windows THE HOME OF MR. CHARLES PARK, JR., ENGLEWOOD, N. J. Aymar Embury, II., architect [52] [S3] Inexpensive Homes of Individuality A feature well worthy of emulation is the awning-like projection of latticework over the porch railing, covered with vines beneath the veranda the slope of the site gives opportuniuy for a large playroom or work- room for the children THE HOME OF THE LAMBS, CRESSKILL, N. J. Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 55 The flower garden is another extension The formal garden is intimately con- of the living quarters nected with the house ■^n.. l-L LU mnrn n ^ 3J , 'qj 5 o o O 3 j3 -a -c g M " *; . j=t: J2X, a « ^ Em O I-H O O a o Pi < Pi W o O Pi a w o Q w pi fa O w O w h [S6] -o -C B o C Oh U (D ^ rt h S^- _^b.- og-^ - - rt £ .S' M c -2^ "^ '3 [S8] O H-H en O W oj *" Qj o ID tn C "-t-^ "U M ■O o £ o < r' 3 fL, C' to o _ C/3 > J=! z ^ o l-H t:; ci. h ^ "2 Pi; b ^ <: 5 J S 4J tUD G h " *M CO ^1 h o o cyD ^ ^ t-H 0:i u -a ffi U a.-5 J H ■> a Q O w O w h [66] Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 67 In the library the fireplace treatment is particularly effective in its simple gray moldings, the carved wood cartouche in the centre and the ivory-plastered wall In the dining-room the wall covering is a robin's-egg blue in color, contrasting pleasantly with ivory-white woodwork and the furniture of dull mahogany THE HOME OF DR. W. W. GILCHRIST, ST. MARTIN'S, PA. Edmund B. Gilchrist, architect H h Pi < ^ h -t-" en - flj cyj istinc room work whit CO two d bed wooc ivory 1 — 1 Pi K S^-S-2 ^ o^ .- 1 — 1 O >, m'^ 5 ng galler consistin h. Here ny stair- ^ ^ a lo ach bat oga pi >H "O rt D floo ms, ore m fa tie second ites of roo d a tile-flc cepting the O w O " 3 2 « t2 tn rt u ffi o w ffi h [68] Inexpensive Hovies of Individuality 69 -1 From the library French casements open out upon the brick-paved porch, which by its advantageous western exposure catches every summer breeze A stone wall coped with brick bounds the northern and eastern edges of the property, inside of which the land is terraced down to the plateau THE HOME OF DR. W. W. GILCHRIST, ST. MARTIN'S, PA. Edmund B. Gilchrist, architect [70] Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 71 riRST rLOOP- PLAM 3LCOMD FLOOR, PLAN There are two porches, one the usual front entrance porch, the other facing the lawn and garden The second-story hall has heen kept down to the minimum of area by skillful planning and cut corners The common fault of overdoing the intricacy of the half-timlier panehng has been carefully avoided HOME OF MR. RICHARD I. NEITHERCUT, BRIDGEPORT, CONN. Joseph W. Northrop, architect 72 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality The entrance is on the north side of the house, the particularly graceful porch being flanked with large rhododendrons. At the right is seen a concession to modern life — the sunroom Like its New England prototypes, the house has its service end developed as a low wing. The laundry yard is enclosed by the lattice fence at the left THE HOME OF MR. W. D. BLOODGOOD, HEWLETT, L. I. /. Acker Hays, architect Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 73 The house has the typical central hall extending through the house and opening at the south end upon a wide covered veranda. Living-room, dining-room, and sunroom each has its ovfn fireplace On the second floor each of the bedrooms, with the exception of the small one over the central hall, immediately adjoins a bath. The way in which two of these baths open also upon the corridor is worthy of note THE HOME OF MR. W. D. BLOODGOOD, HEWLETT, L. I. /. Acker Hays, architect 74 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality A view through the hall from the veranda end tovfards the north entrance door, showing the faithful Colonial detail of steps and balusters In the dining-room a dull gray foliage paper makes a splendid background for the old mahogany furniture THE HOME OF MR. W. D. BLOODGOOD, HEWLETT, L. 1. /. Acker Hays, architect Inexpensive Homes of Individuality IS The owner's bedroom — a room 17x23 feet in size, with white woodwork relieved by cool chintzes The wall paper in the living-room is a dull yellow in a tiny lozenge pattern, much brighter than in the picture THE HOME OF MR. W. D. BLOODGOOD, HEWLETT, L. I. /. Acker Hays, architect 76 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality The hall from the front door. The arch is particularly graceful in its lines and delicate detail V" Xti \ -tf^^S^S^ ram The sunroom opens from the living-room and leads into the formal garden. Flanking its brick chimney are two vines of ivy growing in boxes THE HOME OF MR. W. D. BLOODGOOD, HEWLETT, L. I. J. Acker Hays, architect Inexpensive Homes of Individuality 77 .^1 J \ '<:k % One end of the lot, 50x200 feet, adjoins the street to which the house turns its baclc. This attractive home is a striking example of what can be built for $3,000 lLTJ DIDRCD/'^ D£DP;ao/n The location of the stairs is an unusual feature of the plan; they are not in evidence from the living-room THE HOME OF MR. LEICESTER K. DAVIS, LANGHORNE, PA. Lawrence Visscher Boyd, architect 78 Inexpensive Homes of Individuality Wide boards are laid up horizontally like clapboards on the wood frame over the underpinning of local stone In the dining-room, as throughout the first story, the second floor joists, closely spaced, form a very decorative ceiling THE HOME OF MR. LEICESTER K. DAVIS, LANGHORNE, PA. Lawrence Visscher Boyd, architect ■ c X 5^ ^ == [79] [So]