198 PLANS OF BE SISBNCE S 



Plate XVII. 



A large Mansion occupying one end of a Block, with streets on three 

 sides, and an alley on the fourth. 



Having already called the reader's attention to the identity of 

 this house-plan with that oif Plate XVI, and to the fact that the 

 lots are of the same size and form, but otherwise differently cir- 

 cumstanced, we will briefly sketch the peculiarities of this design. 

 The lot is* 200 x 340 feet. It is supposed to be desirable that the 

 house should front on the street that occupies the long side of the 

 lot. The house and stable conveniences occupy so much room, 

 that if the house were thrown back to introduce a carriage-road to 

 the front steps, it would be crowded close to the alley ; and even 

 then the drive would be so short as to belittle the noble char- 

 acter of the house and lot. The mansion is, therefore, placed 

 so far towards the front that its entrance porch is but forty 

 feet from the street ; a carriage-road to the front is dispensed 

 with, and a broad straight foot-walk alone conducts to the front 

 steps. The private carriage-entrance is by a straight road from 

 the side street to the steps of the back veranda, and the coach- 

 yard ; and the family can get into their vehicles there, or in 

 front, at their option. For visitors, a landing on the side- 

 walk is quite convenient enough to the front door for all ordinary 

 occasions. 



It will be seen at a glance that the distribution and arrange- 

 ment of the useful and the decorative parts of this plan are un- 

 usually convenient and beautiful ; and that a place carried out in 

 conformity to it would produce a more elegant effect, with the 

 same materials and expense, than the plan of Plate XVI. This 

 difference is not to be attributed to the greater street exposure of 

 this plan, or to the different position of the house on the lot, which 

 the surrounding streets necessitate ; but is principally the result 

 of a more happy distribution of the several parts. It would be 

 difficult to plan with greater economy in the use of space. But 

 the form and exposure of the lot on the plate alluded to, will 



