﻿August, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  315 
  

  

  Fireplaces 
  

   for 
  the 
  Summer 
  Home 
  

  

  By 
  Esther 
  Singleton 
  

  

  .HE 
  need 
  of 
  a 
  fireplace, 
  both 
  useful 
  and 
  orna- 
  

   £3 
  mental, 
  is 
  inherent 
  in 
  the 
  descendants 
  of 
  the 
  

   settlers 
  of 
  this 
  country. 
  Even 
  in 
  New 
  York, 
  

   where 
  thousands 
  of 
  flat-dwellers 
  never 
  see 
  

   the 
  cheerful 
  blaze 
  of 
  the 
  hearth, 
  the 
  tradition 
  

   is 
  kept 
  alive 
  in 
  steam-heated 
  apartments 
  by 
  

   the 
  introduction 
  of 
  so-called 
  decorative 
  chimneypieces 
  — 
  a 
  

   practice 
  which 
  would 
  make 
  Mr. 
  Ruskin 
  and 
  his 
  followers 
  

   rightfully 
  shudder. 
  In 
  the 
  country 
  many 
  homes 
  of 
  people 
  

  

  -A 
  Brick 
  Fireplace 
  in 
  a 
  Hall 
  

  

  2 
  — 
  A 
  Simple 
  Shelf 
  Affixed 
  Above 
  the 
  Fireplace 
  

  

  Takes 
  the 
  Place 
  of 
  the 
  Former 
  

  

  Elaborate 
  Mantel 
  

  

  of 
  moderate 
  means 
  are 
  heated 
  with 
  a 
  fur- 
  

   nace 
  in 
  the 
  cellar 
  conveying 
  hot 
  air 
  to 
  the 
  

   rooms, 
  while 
  the 
  meals 
  are 
  cooked 
  on 
  a 
  

   kitchen 
  range. 
  Of 
  late 
  years, 
  however, 
  

   people 
  who 
  like 
  to 
  spend 
  a 
  few 
  months 
  of 
  

   the 
  year 
  in 
  homes 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  in 
  the 
  coun- 
  

   try, 
  have 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  custom 
  of 
  their 
  

   English, 
  Dutch, 
  and 
  French 
  forefathers 
  

   and 
  warm 
  the 
  rooms 
  with 
  open 
  fires 
  of 
  

   blazing 
  logs. 
  

  

  An 
  old 
  English 
  saying 
  was 
  that 
  the 
  way 
  

   to 
  build 
  a 
  house 
  was 
  first 
  to 
  construct 
  the 
  

   massive 
  chimney 
  and 
  then 
  build 
  the 
  house 
  

   round 
  it. 
  With 
  the 
  central 
  mast 
  of 
  brick 
  

   and 
  stone 
  firmly 
  planted 
  in 
  the 
  ground, 
  

   the 
  rooms 
  could 
  then 
  defy 
  the 
  assaults 
  of 
  

   frost 
  and 
  tempest. 
  

  

  The 
  well-to-do 
  of 
  our 
  great 
  cities, 
  if 
  we 
  

   may 
  believe 
  the 
  wails 
  of 
  the 
  suffering 
  

   tradesman, 
  show 
  an 
  inclination 
  to 
  protract 
  

   their 
  residence 
  in 
  their 
  country 
  homes 
  later 
  

   year 
  by 
  year, 
  some 
  not 
  returning 
  to 
  town 
  

   till 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  Thanksgiving. 
  The 
  

   pleasures 
  of 
  the 
  fireside, 
  therefore, 
  on 
  rainv 
  

   days 
  and 
  chilly 
  evenings 
  are 
  greatly 
  en- 
  

   hanced 
  by 
  the 
  artistic 
  form 
  and 
  decoration 
  

   of 
  the 
  chimneypiece 
  and 
  hearth 
  with 
  its 
  

   furnishings. 
  Architects 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  slow 
  

   to 
  cater 
  to 
  the 
  taste 
  for 
  chimneypieces 
  in 
  

   the 
  old 
  English 
  style 
  and 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Dutch 
  

   as 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  pictures 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  

   masters. 
  In 
  many 
  localities 
  the 
  land 
  yields 
  

   in 
  numbers 
  all 
  too 
  plentiful 
  cobble-stones 
  

   of 
  various 
  forms 
  and 
  sizes. 
  These, 
  in 
  

  

  