Bo (Gothic Suburban Villd. 



the front elevation, witli just such an amount of embellishment as 

 situation seemed to render necessary. 



The material may be brick, Avith stone dressings — brick entirely, the 

 architectural features of -the design being executed in moulded brick, ot 

 perhaps a different color — and the tracery of windows, &c., of wood — 

 entirely of stone — or of brick covered with mastic, and the decorated 

 portions either of stone or of durable composition. 



The style is that of the later period of Gothic, and the characteristics 

 that distinguish it have been sufficiently preserved without causing any 

 intrenchment upon modern convenience and comfort. There are few 

 situations that would render the erection of such a suburban villa inap- 

 propriate, and i'ev: families would require arrangements more commodious 

 than the plan affords. The cost, in the neighborhood of New-Yorkj 

 Philadelphia or Boston, would be influenced to some extent by the 

 material chosen, but may be stated at from eight to twelve thousand 

 dollars — the margin named allowing for elaborate or simple finish of the 

 exterior or interior, as the taste or circumstances of the owner might 

 demand. In other situations the expense would be less ; and, whilst the 

 building is upon such a scale as to allow the builder to lavish any outlay 

 upon it, and to bring it to the utmost finish of elaborate design, there is 

 nothing that would be less fitly completed in the most simple and 

 inexpensive manner. In fact, this would be somewhat a seductive home 

 for a man of taste and means to commence ; the capabilities that the 

 fine suite of rooms, and the general liberality of internal arrangements 

 aftord for appropriate embellishment, would be very apt to draw him on, 

 step by step, towards enriched completeness that would easily be made 

 to require a large expenditure ; and this from the very honesty of the 

 requirements of the style — the educated eye perceiving at once that 

 gingerbread construction and meretricious ornament would be out of 

 place, and that decoration, when used, must be in real material and in 

 earnestness of purpose. 



Of the ornamental details, of no style can it so truly be said : 



" 'Tis Use alone that sanctifies expense, 

 And Spleador borrows all her rays from Sense." 



