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  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  February, 
  1907 
  

  

  ing 
  becomes 
  more 
  formal; 
  great 
  clumps 
  of 
  shrubbery 
  are 
  

   massed 
  in 
  beautifully 
  kept 
  lawns. 
  The 
  house 
  has 
  no 
  great 
  

   trees 
  near 
  it, 
  those 
  in 
  its 
  immediate 
  vicinity 
  being 
  young. 
  The 
  

   kitchen 
  entrance 
  is 
  hidden 
  behind 
  a 
  fine 
  planting 
  of 
  ever- 
  

   greens. 
  

  

  A 
  stately 
  porte 
  cochere, 
  built 
  wholly 
  of 
  terra 
  cotta, 
  

   is 
  erected 
  before 
  the 
  main 
  doorway. 
  It 
  has 
  four 
  great 
  piers, 
  

   with 
  round 
  arches 
  on 
  the 
  side, 
  and 
  two 
  columns 
  to 
  support 
  the 
  

   entablature 
  on 
  the 
  front, 
  whence 
  a 
  ravishing 
  view 
  can 
  be 
  had 
  

   of 
  the 
  magnificent 
  lawn 
  that 
  stretches 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  house, 
  

   and 
  of 
  the 
  hilltops 
  in 
  the 
  far 
  distance. 
  

  

  In 
  design 
  this 
  house 
  is 
  thoroughly 
  distinguished. 
  The 
  

   plan 
  may 
  be 
  roughly 
  described 
  as 
  cruciform; 
  that 
  is 
  to 
  say, 
  a 
  

   great 
  central 
  body 
  to 
  which 
  are 
  applied 
  wings, 
  right 
  and 
  left. 
  

  

  of 
  pilasters, 
  support 
  the 
  simply 
  molded 
  archway. 
  The 
  rea- 
  

   son 
  for 
  the 
  thickening 
  of 
  the 
  wall 
  is 
  now 
  apparent, 
  for 
  it 
  gives 
  

   greater 
  depth 
  to 
  the 
  arch, 
  and 
  transforms 
  what 
  might 
  have 
  

   been 
  a 
  purely 
  ornamental 
  feature 
  into 
  a 
  monumental 
  one. 
  In 
  

   the 
  spandrils 
  are 
  two 
  carved 
  disks, 
  which, 
  with 
  the 
  monu- 
  

   mental 
  stairway 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  arch, 
  complete 
  the 
  struc- 
  

   tural 
  features 
  of 
  this 
  fine 
  centerpiece. 
  Within, 
  the 
  archway 
  

   has 
  a 
  double 
  treatment 
  of 
  door 
  and 
  window, 
  the 
  doorway 
  

   being 
  in 
  the 
  exact 
  center, 
  below 
  a 
  broad 
  horizontal 
  cornice, 
  

   while 
  the 
  window 
  rises 
  in 
  majestic 
  proportions 
  above 
  it, 
  

   wholly 
  filling 
  the 
  enclosed 
  space. 
  

  

  The 
  steps 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  arch 
  descend 
  upon 
  a 
  spacious 
  

   terrace, 
  which 
  is 
  built 
  out 
  upon 
  the 
  hillside, 
  with 
  a 
  broader 
  

   flight 
  of 
  central 
  steps 
  to 
  the 
  slope 
  below. 
  On 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  The 
  Dining-room 
  Is 
  Paneled 
  in 
  Dark 
  Oak, 
  Above 
  Which 
  Is 
  a 
  Frieze 
  of 
  Old 
  Tapestry 
  

  

  Mobility 
  is 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  center 
  by 
  slight 
  projections: 
  at 
  the 
  

   ends 
  on 
  the 
  entrance 
  front, 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  on 
  the 
  terrace 
  front. 
  

   The 
  detailing 
  is 
  extraordinarily 
  fine, 
  very 
  well 
  conceived, 
  and 
  

   applied 
  with 
  admirable 
  judiciousness. 
  The 
  large 
  windows 
  

   are 
  sufficiently 
  spaced, 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  story 
  having 
  more 
  

   elaborate 
  frames 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  second. 
  The 
  cornice 
  at 
  

   the 
  top 
  is 
  high 
  and 
  flat, 
  with 
  pierced 
  openings 
  over 
  the 
  win- 
  

   dows, 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  projecting 
  eaves 
  to 
  the 
  low 
  roof, 
  whose 
  

   simple 
  outline 
  is 
  broken 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  chimneys 
  and 
  the 
  three 
  

   dormers 
  on 
  the 
  entrance 
  front. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  more 
  pronounced 
  enrichment 
  and 
  more 
  variety 
  in 
  

   the 
  terrace 
  front. 
  On 
  that 
  side 
  the 
  center 
  is 
  projected 
  far 
  

   forward 
  beyond 
  the 
  wings. 
  In 
  the 
  center 
  is 
  a 
  triumphal 
  arch, 
  

   rising 
  high 
  to 
  the 
  crowning 
  cornice 
  which 
  its 
  keystone 
  just 
  

   touches. 
  Roman 
  Ionic 
  columns, 
  with 
  an 
  accompanying 
  pair 
  

  

  center 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  are 
  loggias 
  which 
  connect 
  with 
  the 
  wings, 
  

   each 
  with 
  its 
  own 
  steps, 
  descending 
  at 
  right 
  angles 
  to 
  the 
  

   central 
  flight 
  to 
  the 
  great 
  lower 
  terrace. 
  The 
  loggias 
  are 
  

   built 
  of 
  terra 
  cotta, 
  with 
  piers 
  and 
  columns, 
  and, 
  furnished 
  

   with 
  rugs, 
  tables, 
  and 
  chairs, 
  are 
  most 
  delightful 
  lounging- 
  

   places. 
  The 
  outlooks 
  over 
  the 
  countryside 
  from 
  any 
  of 
  these 
  

   parts 
  are 
  of 
  rare 
  beauty; 
  immediately 
  below 
  is 
  the 
  deep 
  valley 
  

   and 
  the 
  road, 
  which 
  the 
  house 
  seems 
  almost 
  to 
  overhang; 
  be- 
  

   yond 
  are 
  fields 
  of 
  rich 
  grass, 
  trees 
  and 
  woods, 
  hills 
  and 
  val- 
  

   leys, 
  a 
  lovely 
  country 
  outlook, 
  perhaps 
  nowhere 
  so 
  enjoyable, 
  

   or 
  so 
  beautiful, 
  as 
  from 
  the 
  doorway 
  beneath 
  Mr. 
  Biddle's 
  

   arch 
  of 
  triumph. 
  

  

  The 
  entrance 
  door 
  leads 
  to 
  a 
  small 
  vestibule, 
  wholly 
  pan- 
  

   eled 
  in 
  wood 
  painted 
  white. 
  Its 
  glazed 
  doors 
  admit 
  to 
  a 
  

  

  