78 



AN ENGLISH COTTAGE. 



necessary in the result, many recently 

 erected wooden structures exhibit. 



The material is itself a beautiful and a 

 manageable one ; and there are many ex- 

 amples in Europe, to show how durable 

 and how pleasing may be the manner in 

 which a true artist can use it. 



There are time honored buildings in 

 England, and in Flanders, that have stood 

 and seem likely to stand for centuries ; and, 

 though from local causes, these are not 

 examples that with benefit I would advo- 

 cate introducing here, still they show what 

 may be done in the right spirit with the 

 material in any place, and are valuable as 

 lessons to the architect, who may learn 

 from them how the mighty men of old 

 conquered their difficulties, and may gain 

 encouragement how to overcome his. 



It seems difficult to assign any particu- 

 lar style which, in this country, affords the 

 best medium for the use of wood, because 

 the character of the building must depend 

 so much upon the scener)', the require- 

 ments of the builder, and upon local causes. 



Where a high pitched roof is admissible, 

 (and I believe there are very few situations 

 where it is not,) the style that the accom- 

 panying plates exhibit will be found, I 

 think, suitable. 



This is essentially real. The character 

 that it possesses is given it by its simplicity 

 and fitness of construction ; and no attempt 

 is made with such board finery, to dress 

 up and make " Gothic" what would other- 

 wise be a very plain house. 



The building is slightly modified from 

 one that the writer has executed at Bruns- 

 wick in Maine, at a cost not exceeding 

 twenty-eight hundred dollars, whilst the 

 size and arrangement of the rooms, the 

 roomy hall, and the picturesque exterior 

 point it out as the residence of a gentle- 

 man; and simple, and inexpensive as it is, j 



it contains really more of the requirements 

 that a house should possess, than many 

 that have cost twice the money. 



The method of building is somewhat pe- 

 culiar. It is framed, and on the front the 

 construction shows, and gives additional 

 richness and character to the composition. 

 Across the frame are horizontal braces, at 

 equal distances apart, and on these are 

 nailed, on the inside, horizontal boarding, 

 and on the outside diagonal boarding, 

 whilst the sheathing of the exterior is com- 

 posed of perpendicular plank, confined with 

 battens two inches and a half thick, which 

 are made with a broad shoulder, and nailed 

 to the horizontal braces, — confining the 

 planks, but leaving spaces for shrinking or 

 swelling, and thus preventing the neces- 

 sity of a single nail being driven through 

 the planks, and thus rendering the splitting 

 of the planks impossible. 



The outside is painted with a mixture of 

 paint and fine smooth sand, laid on with a 

 wire brush ; a method of painting the 

 writer has had an opportunity of personally 

 testing during a period of twelve years, 

 and has found it to be the most durable 

 and economical covering for out buildings 

 that he has ever tried. 



The windows, doors, and ornamental ga- 

 bles are simple and real. The windows 

 being made of solid frames, four inches by 

 five, and champered, and the doors framed 

 and champered. 



The inside finish is of the same real 

 and simple character. In the hall the 

 joists, carrying the floor above, are permit- 

 ted to show ; and as they are made in yel- 

 low pine, planed, and the edges cham- 

 pered and stopped, — the plastering between 

 being coloured a rich blue, and the joists, 

 cornice, and other wood work being oiled 

 and varnished, a rich and substantial effect 

 is obtained, and at a very moderate cost. 



