﻿February, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  45 
  

  

  Notable 
  American 
  Homes 
  

  

  By 
  Barr 
  Ferree 
  

  

  " 
  Laurento," 
  the 
  Estate 
  of 
  Craig 
  Biddle, 
  Esq., 
  Wayne, 
  Pennsylvania 
  

  

  |HE 
  mansion 
  of 
  "Laurento" 
  looms 
  majesti- 
  

   cally 
  on 
  its 
  hilltop, 
  rising 
  high 
  and 
  stately 
  

   above 
  the 
  surrounding 
  trees 
  and 
  shrubbery, 
  

   quite 
  dominating 
  the 
  landscape 
  for 
  many 
  

   miles 
  around. 
  And 
  a 
  most 
  agreeable 
  land- 
  

   mark 
  it 
  is, 
  designed 
  in 
  a 
  quiet 
  Italian 
  style 
  

   by 
  Messrs. 
  Peabody 
  & 
  Sterns, 
  architects, 
  of 
  

   Boston. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  large 
  house 
  with 
  spacious 
  fronts, 
  whose 
  length 
  

   is 
  emphasized 
  by 
  the 
  strong 
  string-course 
  between 
  the 
  first 
  

   and 
  second 
  stories, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  low, 
  sloping 
  broad 
  roof 
  with 
  

   which 
  it 
  is 
  surmounted. 
  It 
  is 
  built 
  of 
  light-brown 
  brick, 
  with 
  

   terra 
  cotta 
  trimming 
  of 
  a 
  nearly 
  white 
  tone. 
  

  

  The 
  situation 
  is 
  superb, 
  standing 
  on 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  a 
  hill 
  

   that 
  rises 
  sharply 
  above 
  the 
  road 
  by 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  usually 
  ap- 
  

   proached, 
  but 
  with 
  an 
  ample 
  plateau 
  on 
  the 
  inner 
  side, 
  toward 
  

   which 
  the 
  entrance 
  front 
  is 
  faced. 
  On 
  the 
  roadside 
  the 
  base 
  

   of 
  the 
  hill 
  is 
  enclosed 
  within 
  a 
  low 
  stone 
  wall, 
  that 
  presently 
  

   will 
  be 
  thickly 
  covered 
  with 
  vines. 
  At 
  one 
  point, 
  within 
  a 
  

  

  recess, 
  is 
  a 
  water 
  trough 
  for 
  horses; 
  farther 
  on 
  is 
  the 
  entrance, 
  

   high 
  sandstone 
  piers 
  capped 
  with 
  standing 
  lions 
  and 
  support- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  wrought-iron 
  arch 
  carrying 
  a 
  central 
  lantern: 
  a 
  stately, 
  

   handsome 
  entrance, 
  as 
  effective 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  simple. 
  

  

  The 
  road 
  within 
  approaches 
  the 
  house 
  by 
  broad 
  curves, 
  

   for 
  the 
  elevation 
  is 
  considerable, 
  and 
  a 
  somewhat 
  lengthy 
  

   detour 
  has 
  been 
  necessary 
  to 
  accomplish 
  an 
  easy 
  ascent. 
  On 
  

   the 
  left 
  the 
  hillside 
  is 
  thickly 
  overgrown 
  with 
  wild 
  shrubbery; 
  

   on 
  the 
  right 
  are 
  open 
  fields, 
  with 
  the 
  farmhouse 
  and 
  barn 
  — 
  

   a 
  massive, 
  rough 
  cast 
  structure 
  — 
  quite 
  down 
  in 
  the 
  hollow. 
  

   The 
  roadbed 
  is 
  fine, 
  with 
  young 
  trees 
  growing 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  

   edge, 
  and 
  at 
  frequent 
  intervals 
  are 
  rustic 
  posts 
  carrying 
  

   wrought-iron 
  lanterns, 
  square 
  in 
  form, 
  and 
  as 
  ornamental 
  by 
  

   day 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  useful 
  by 
  night. 
  Farther 
  on, 
  but 
  at 
  some 
  dis- 
  

   tance 
  below, 
  the 
  road 
  overlooks 
  the 
  vegetable 
  garden. 
  Then 
  

   the 
  shrubbery 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  gives 
  way 
  to 
  open 
  land, 
  and 
  the 
  

   house, 
  which 
  hitherto 
  has 
  been 
  completely 
  hidden, 
  comes 
  into 
  

   view. 
  A 
  broad 
  field 
  contains 
  a 
  flock 
  of 
  sheep 
  and 
  the 
  plant- 
  

  

  The 
  Main 
  Hall 
  Is 
  Flanked 
  with 
  Aisles, 
  in 
  One 
  of 
  Which 
  Is 
  the 
  Fireplace 
  with 
  a 
  Mantel 
  of 
  Carved 
  Stone 
  

  

  