﻿January, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  Notable 
  American 
  Homes 
  

  

  "THE 
  BLOW- 
  BY-THE- 
  SEA" 
  

   How 
  a 
  Woman 
  Built 
  An 
  Italian 
  Villa 
  Without 
  the 
  Aid 
  of 
  an 
  Architect 
  

  

  By 
  Tomaso 
  Cambiaso 
  

  

  ]R. 
  JOHN 
  W. 
  MCDONALD'S 
  villa, 
  at 
  Mon- 
  

   mouth 
  Beach, 
  N. 
  J., 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  unusual 
  type 
  

   of 
  country 
  house. 
  It 
  is 
  built 
  of 
  stucco 
  with 
  

   a 
  copper 
  green 
  roof; 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  exte- 
  

   rior 
  being 
  of 
  white 
  and 
  green, 
  with 
  the 
  ex- 
  

   ception 
  of 
  the 
  Roman 
  reliefs 
  at 
  the 
  cornices, 
  

   shields, 
  and 
  panels, 
  which 
  are 
  of 
  ivory 
  white 
  and 
  raw 
  sienna, 
  

   even 
  the 
  awnings 
  being 
  of 
  copper 
  green. 
  If 
  the 
  style 
  of 
  ar- 
  

   chitecture 
  should 
  be 
  named 
  it 
  would 
  unquestionably 
  be 
  called 
  

   Roman. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  most 
  unique 
  bit 
  of 
  architecture 
  designed 
  and 
  

   carried 
  out 
  entirely 
  by 
  Mrs. 
  McDonald 
  herself. 
  No 
  archi- 
  

   tect 
  could 
  have 
  permitted 
  these 
  quaint 
  archaisms 
  to 
  remain 
  

   unmodified, 
  for 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  charm 
  of 
  Mrs. 
  McDonald's 
  

   house, 
  as 
  it 
  stands, 
  would 
  have 
  departed. 
  

  

  It 
  might 
  have 
  gained 
  a 
  higher 
  architectural 
  quality 
  than 
  

   that 
  of 
  a 
  quaint 
  and 
  exotic 
  charm, 
  but 
  that 
  charm 
  evidently 
  

   depends 
  upon 
  the 
  spacious 
  area 
  of 
  blank 
  wall, 
  the 
  barred 
  

   windows, 
  the 
  shut-in 
  prison 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  verandas 
  and 
  log- 
  

   gias 
  which 
  look 
  as 
  if 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  cut 
  after 
  the 
  walls 
  had 
  

   been 
  built. 
  

  

  One 
  can 
  hardly 
  recommend 
  this 
  example 
  of 
  house 
  as 
  a 
  

   good 
  one 
  to 
  follow, 
  but 
  the 
  owner 
  has, 
  nevertheless, 
  been 
  

   most 
  successful 
  in 
  obtaining 
  the 
  particular 
  effect 
  she 
  sought, 
  

   which 
  is 
  most 
  unique. 
  

  

  The 
  enclosed 
  piazza 
  is 
  the 
  chief 
  pride 
  of 
  its 
  owner, 
  and 
  

   the 
  crowning 
  distinction 
  of 
  the 
  house, 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  really 
  a 
  sumptu- 
  

   ous 
  living-room 
  or 
  conservatory. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  real 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  

   McDonald 
  house 
  and 
  gives 
  that 
  importance 
  and 
  interest 
  

   which 
  few 
  houses 
  have. 
  It 
  is 
  enclosed 
  with 
  lattice, 
  the 
  whole 
  

   being 
  carefully 
  screened. 
  The 
  walls 
  are 
  of 
  stone, 
  set 
  with 
  

   panels 
  reproducing 
  the 
  "Nymphs," 
  by 
  Jean 
  Goujon, 
  from 
  

   the 
  Fountain 
  of 
  Innocence, 
  Paris, 
  and 
  statuary 
  is 
  placed 
  amid 
  

   trailing 
  vines 
  and 
  palms. 
  Most 
  luxuriant 
  Roman 
  swings 
  and 
  

   benches 
  are 
  piled 
  with 
  exquisite 
  foreign 
  looking 
  cushions. 
  

   A 
  reproduction 
  of 
  a 
  Pompeian 
  table 
  from 
  the 
  house 
  of 
  Cor- 
  

   nelius 
  Rufus 
  occupies 
  one 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  piazza; 
  it 
  is 
  covered 
  

   with 
  an 
  antique 
  Persian 
  rug, 
  upon 
  which 
  stands 
  a 
  Moorish 
  

   lamp 
  in 
  green, 
  as 
  are 
  all 
  other 
  outside 
  lights. 
  

  

  The 
  floors 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  Oriental 
  rugs 
  in 
  old 
  pinks 
  and 
  

   raspberry 
  reds, 
  giving 
  the 
  desired 
  background 
  for 
  the 
  ivory 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  Sheds 
  " 
  Is 
  a 
  Small 
  Building 
  Built 
  on 
  the 
  Grounds 
  and 
  Used 
  for 
  Bachelor 
  Quarters 
  

  

  