416 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Sept. 





'4ea«ee£&ra~ 



A RUSTIC VILLA. 



We present this week another of those beautiful 

 designs from Wheeler's "Homes for the People,'' 

 a work of which we cannot speak in terms of too 

 high comm.endation. We shall let the author speak 

 for himself in describing the advantages of the plan 

 presented, but in view of the wants of our New 

 England people, in the matter of pleasant and at- 

 tractive homes, we cannot refrain from making a 

 few remarks before x^e introduce Mr. Wheeler to 

 his audience. It is the custom too often among us, 

 for those who intend building, to sit down and make 

 their own plans, thinking they know more about 

 their wants than any one else can be made to un- 

 dersta'.d. Without any knowledge of the rules of 

 architecture or the fitness of things, a j)lan is made 

 and submitted to a builder, who finds the less ob- 

 jection he makes the more his own interest is pro- 

 moted, and so a structure is erected -with the whole 

 external and internal arrangements of which, the 

 owner is dissatisfied. We know that plans fur- 

 nished by regular architects are often expensive, at 

 the commencement, and may therefore be objec- 

 tionable. But, thanks to some of the more liberal 

 lines of the profession, we have now many books on 

 the subject of building, and any one can, for a few 

 dollars invested in their purchase, and a short time 



spent in their perusal, avail himself of the most val- 

 uable suggestions by the most experienced design- 

 ers. We earnestly recommend to all who intend 

 to build, if only the simplest structure, a study of 

 the rules and plans given in such books as those of 

 Mr. Wheeler, Messrs. Cleateland & Backus, 

 Vaux, and others, and can assure them that the 

 knowledge gained will amply repay the necessary 

 cost. 

 The plans presented are thus described : 



In front is a long and wide veranda, in the cen- 

 tre of \^hich the roof shoots out to shelter the car- 

 riage that may be standing before the entrance 

 door. The hall within is nine feet wide and four- 

 teen long. No. 1, and opens at one end into a large 

 closet, and then, by means of an arch, leads into a 

 staircase hall. No. 2, which turns off at right angles 

 and then is continued, but of narrower width, to the 

 rear of the house. The staircase hall is eight feet 

 in width, and has in its further end a door leading 

 to the kitchen and offices. 



The drawing-room, No. 3, is on one side of the 

 entrance hall, and has at one end a wide window 

 which opens upon the veranda, and on its side a 

 bay-window from which a lovely view is obtained. 

 The size of this room, exclusive of the bay, is 

 twenty-three by fifteen. 



Communicating with the drawing-room, but re- 

 cessed from it, so as to form a veranda to its win- 



