﻿104 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  March, 
  1907 
  

  

  An 
  Arts 
  and 
  Crafts 
  Experiment 
  in 
  

  

  An 
  Old 
  Rhode 
  Island 
  Mansion 
  

  

  By 
  Leila 
  Mechlin 
  

  

  (N 
  A 
  picturesque 
  old 
  coun- 
  

   try 
  road 
  leading 
  from 
  

   Lonsdale 
  to 
  Saylesville, 
  

   Rhode 
  Island, 
  stands 
  

   "Hearthside," 
  the 
  stately 
  

   mansion 
  which 
  was 
  taken 
  

   as 
  a 
  model 
  for 
  the 
  Rhode 
  

   Island 
  house 
  at 
  the 
  St. 
  Louis 
  Exposition. 
  

   Built 
  not 
  later 
  than 
  18 
  14, 
  by 
  Stephen 
  Hop- 
  

   kins 
  Smith, 
  a 
  once 
  noted 
  horticulturist 
  and 
  

   manufacturer, 
  with, 
  it 
  is 
  said, 
  thirty 
  thou- 
  

   sand 
  dollars 
  won 
  in 
  a 
  lottery, 
  it 
  is 
  now 
  oc- 
  

   cupied 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Arnold 
  G. 
  Talbot, 
  the 
  grand- 
  

   son 
  of 
  the 
  original 
  owner's 
  cousin, 
  who, 
  

   with 
  his 
  wife, 
  is 
  reviving 
  beneath 
  its 
  roof 
  

   the 
  old 
  and 
  almost 
  forgotten 
  industry 
  of 
  

   hand 
  weaving. 
  

  

  Architecturally 
  the 
  house 
  is 
  particularly 
  

   interesting, 
  for 
  while 
  it 
  is 
  obviously 
  Col- 
  

   onial 
  in 
  style, 
  it 
  presents 
  certain 
  unusual 
  

   features, 
  and 
  is 
  distinctly 
  irregular 
  in 
  de- 
  

   sign. 
  The 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  architect 
  is 
  not 
  re- 
  

   membered, 
  but 
  whosoever 
  he 
  may 
  have 
  

   been, 
  he 
  was 
  undoubtedly 
  a 
  man 
  of 
  good 
  

   judgment 
  and 
  definite 
  originality. 
  The 
  

   general 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  building 
  is 
  rectangular, 
  

  

  The 
  Broad 
  Entrance 
  Hall 
  Divides 
  the 
  House 
  in 
  Two. 
  The 
  Stairs 
  Are 
  Partly 
  Concealed 
  

   The 
  Carved 
  Oak 
  Chest 
  Is 
  Earlier 
  Than 
  1 
  700 
  

  

  ; 
  

  

  The 
  Dining-room 
  Is 
  Crowded 
  With 
  Interesting 
  Articles. 
  The 
  "Beaufat 
  " 
  in 
  the 
  Corner 
  

  

  Belonged 
  to 
  General 
  Frazer's 
  Mother. 
  His 
  Knife, 
  Fork 
  and 
  Spoon 
  Cases 
  Are 
  

  

  on 
  the 
  Sideboard. 
  Quaint 
  Silhouettes 
  Hang 
  Over 
  the 
  Fireplace 
  

  

  but 
  the 
  side 
  walls 
  terminate 
  in 
  curved 
  gables 
  

   and 
  the 
  front 
  is 
  spanned 
  by 
  a 
  broad 
  portico 
  

   of 
  four 
  columns, 
  extending 
  through 
  two 
  

   stories 
  and 
  resting 
  upon 
  a 
  slightly 
  elevated 
  

   stone 
  platform. 
  

  

  The 
  material 
  is 
  gray 
  stone 
  — 
  random 
  

   masonry 
  of 
  large, 
  seam-faced 
  rocks, 
  afford- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  smoothly 
  finished 
  wall 
  of 
  vari-colored 
  

   elements, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  pieces 
  being 
  delight- 
  

   fully 
  iron 
  stained, 
  while 
  others 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  

   less 
  agreeably 
  weathered. 
  The 
  window 
  

   frames 
  are 
  of 
  wood 
  and 
  the 
  portico 
  is 
  

   topped 
  by 
  a 
  wooden 
  balustrade 
  of 
  solid 
  

   panels. 
  This, 
  in 
  turn, 
  is 
  crowned 
  by 
  a 
  

   broad 
  dormer, 
  which 
  is 
  in 
  fact 
  a 
  secondary 
  

   gable 
  repeating 
  the 
  primary 
  motif, 
  and 
  set- 
  

   ting 
  forth 
  not 
  only 
  a 
  similar 
  round 
  window, 
  

   but 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  doors 
  which 
  open 
  into 
  the 
  

   attic. 
  The 
  front 
  door 
  is 
  simple 
  in 
  design 
  

   but 
  admirably 
  proportioned, 
  and 
  has 
  both 
  

   fan 
  and 
  side 
  lights. 
  The 
  side 
  door 
  is 
  still 
  

   more 
  unpretentious, 
  but 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  

   specially 
  attractive 
  by 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  a 
  

   small 
  porch 
  projected 
  on 
  two 
  columns, 
  the 
  

   roof 
  and 
  ceiling 
  of 
  which 
  again 
  repeat 
  the 
  

   curves 
  of 
  the 
  gables. 
  This 
  curved 
  form 
  has, 
  

   indeed, 
  apparently 
  been 
  made 
  the 
  dominant 
  

  

  