lOS 



ON SIMPLE RURAL COTTAGES. 



comfort. If the cottage is of wood, we 

 would even build it with strong rough 

 boards, painting and sanding the same. 



We would, first of all, give our cottage 

 the best proportions. It should not be too 

 narrow ; it should not be too high. These 

 are the two prevailing faults with us. After 

 giving it an agreeable proportion — which 

 is the highest source of all material beauty, 

 we would give it something more of cha- 

 racter as well as comfort, by extending the 

 roof. Nothing is pleasanler to the eye than 

 the shadow afforded by a projecting eave. 

 It is nearly impossible that a house should 

 be quite ugly, with an amply projecting 

 r:of; as it is difficult to render a simple 

 one pleasing, when it is usltiow and pinched 

 about the eaves. 



After this, we would bestow a little cha- 

 racter by a bold and simple dressing, or fac- 

 ing, about the windows and doors. The 

 chimneys may next be attended to. Let 

 them be less clumsy and heavy, if possible, 

 than usual. 



This would be character enough for the 

 simplest class of cottages. We Avould ra- 

 ther aim to render them striking and ex- 

 pressive by a good outline, and a few sim- 

 ple details, than by the imitation of the or- 

 naments of a more complete and highly fin- 

 ished style of building. 



In the frontispiece, fig. 30 and fig. 31, we 

 have endeavored to give two views of a 

 workingman's cottage, of humble means.* 



Whatever may be thought of the effect 

 of these designs, (and we assure our readers 

 that they appear much better when built than 

 upon paper,) we think it will not be denied, 

 that they have not the defects to which we 

 have just alluded. The style is as economical 

 as the cheapest mode of building ; it is ex- 



* Wb do not give tlie interior plan of these, at present. 

 Our only object now is to call aitentior. to the exteriors 

 oi" dwellings of this class- 



pressive of the simple wants of its occu- 

 pant ; and it is, wc conceive, not without 

 some tasteful character. 



Last, though not least, this mode ol 

 building cottages is well adapted to oui 

 country. The material — wood — is one 

 which must, yet for some years, be the only 

 one used for small cottages. The projecting 

 eaves partially shelter the building from 

 our hot sun and violent storms ; and the few 

 simple details which may be said to confer 

 something of an ornamental character, as the 

 rafter brackets and window dressings, are 

 such as obviously grow out of the primary 

 conveniences of the house — the necessity 

 of a roof for shelter, and the necessity of 

 windows for light. 



Common narrow sx^^m^, {i. e. the thin dap- 

 boarding in general use,) we would not em- 

 ploy for the exterior of this class of cottages 

 — nor, indeed, for any simple rural build- 

 ings. What we greatly prefer, are good 

 strong and sound boards, from ten to four- 

 teen inches wide, and one to one and a 

 fourth inches thick. These should be 

 tongued and grooved so as to make a close 

 joint, and nailed to the frame of the house 

 in a vertical manner. The joint should be 

 covered on the outside with a narrow strip 

 of inch board, from two to three inches 

 wide. The accompanying cut, fig. 32, a, 

 showing a section of this mode of weather 

 boarding Avill best explain it to the reader. 



We first pointed out this mode of cover- 

 ing, in our " Cottage Eesidences." A great 

 number of gentlemen have since adopted 

 it, and all express themselves highly grati 

 fied with it. It is by far the most expres- 

 sive and agreeable mode of building in 

 wood for the country ; it is stronger, equal- 

 ly cheap, and much more durable than 

 the thin siding ; and it has a character of 

 strength and permanence, which, to our 

 eye, narrow and thin boards never can have. 



