﻿August, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  297 
  

  

  Quietly 
  Resting 
  Under 
  the 
  Spreading 
  Trees 
  Is 
  the 
  Old 
  Farm 
  House, 
  from 
  Which 
  Broad 
  Vistas 
  Are 
  Obtained 
  of 
  the 
  Meadows 
  

  

  to 
  modern 
  requirements, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  Gage's 
  renovation 
  of 
  his 
  

   house 
  at 
  Villa 
  Nova 
  is 
  a 
  fine 
  illustration 
  of 
  this 
  very 
  point. 
  

  

  The 
  charm 
  — 
  the 
  architectural, 
  artistic 
  or 
  building 
  charm 
  

   — 
  of 
  an 
  old 
  house 
  is 
  an 
  undeniable 
  quality 
  of 
  attractiveness 
  

   which 
  many 
  a 
  spacious, 
  costly 
  modern 
  dwelling 
  wholly 
  lacks. 
  

   It 
  is 
  the 
  distinction 
  of 
  old 
  age 
  that 
  wins 
  one's 
  admiration, 
  

   and 
  no 
  building 
  can 
  acquire 
  this 
  fine 
  characteristic 
  save 
  by 
  age 
  

   itself. 
  The 
  vaunted 
  superiority 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  house 
  is 
  apt 
  to 
  be 
  

   thoroughly 
  superficial, 
  a 
  mere 
  veneer, 
  as 
  it 
  were, 
  on 
  a 
  founda- 
  

   tion 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  too 
  extensive. 
  If 
  need 
  be, 
  much 
  of 
  this 
  

   veneer 
  can 
  be 
  applied 
  to 
  an 
  old 
  house, 
  which 
  may 
  thus 
  obtain 
  

   the 
  combined 
  advantage 
  of 
  the 
  beauty 
  of 
  old 
  age 
  with 
  the 
  

  

  excellence 
  of 
  modern 
  conveniences, 
  and 
  all 
  they 
  imply. 
  

   For 
  the 
  conveniences 
  must 
  not 
  be 
  forgotten. 
  No 
  building 
  

   is 
  a 
  fit 
  habitation 
  that 
  fails 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  personal 
  requirements 
  

   of 
  its 
  owner, 
  however 
  whimsical 
  those 
  requirements 
  may 
  be 
  

   Our 
  ways 
  of 
  living, 
  our 
  life, 
  the 
  matters 
  that 
  make 
  up 
  life, 
  

   and 
  the 
  methods 
  of 
  housekeeping 
  which 
  are 
  now 
  in 
  vogue 
  are 
  

   so 
  thoroughly 
  different 
  from 
  those 
  of 
  our 
  forefathers, 
  that 
  

   only 
  by 
  complete 
  renovation 
  can 
  an 
  old 
  house 
  be 
  adapted 
  to 
  

   modern 
  needs. 
  This, 
  however, 
  and 
  most 
  fortunately, 
  need 
  

   not 
  be 
  an 
  outward 
  renovation, 
  nor 
  even 
  a 
  radical 
  one, 
  but 
  

   simply 
  one 
  that 
  brings 
  a 
  long-used 
  structure 
  up 
  to 
  date 
  in 
  a 
  

   manner 
  compatible 
  with 
  fine 
  old 
  age 
  and 
  good 
  modern 
  usage. 
  

  

  The 
  Servants' 
  Hall 
  and 
  Quarters 
  

  

  