April, 1 9 13 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



117 



The exterior of this house, the residence of Dr. C. M. Holden of Scarsdale, New York, is one of the most interesting in its vicinity 



A Home in the Westchester Hills 



By Morgan R. Burroughs 

 Photographs by T. C. Turner 



HE pleasing quaintness of the home of Dr. 

 C. M. Holden, at Scarsdale, N. Y., from 

 the plans by Messrs. Waid and Williams, 

 architects, New York, is largely the result 

 of a consistent and careful following of the 

 work of the early Dutch builders in and 

 around New York. The gambrel-roof is of course the most 

 conspicuous architectural achievement of these early settlers 

 from Holland, who built their homes with a severe and 

 classical simplicity which was beautiful in itself. Many 

 modern architects who essay the use of the gambrel-roof 

 are unfortunately very likely to err by introducing into the 

 composition various ornate features which are almost cer- 

 tain to destroy the simple grace and dignity which the con- 

 sistent and success- 

 ful use of the 

 gambrel-roof re- 

 quires. 



Of course, in 

 planning a home for 

 a suburb of New 

 York of to-day, one 

 could hardly be Plan of the first floor 



bound by the hard and fast rules of what may have been 

 pleasing to the Dutch burghers of two centuries ago. The 

 early settlers seem to have required no windows in the 

 upper story save those which could be conveniently and 

 economically placed in the gable ends of their houses, while 

 present day ideas of comfort and sanitation demand that 

 dormer windows be added. Then, again, the early Dutch 

 housekeeper did not consider a broad veranda absolutely 

 essential to the comfort of her family, while no architect 

 would dare to design a suburban home in this present age 

 without an ample veranda for Summer use. 



The architects of this country home therefore seem to 

 have caught something of the point of view of these early 

 builders and have planned these modern utilities in prob- 

 ably just the way in 

 which the old set- 

 tlers would have 

 done, which means 

 that they have pro- 

 duced an exterior 

 which fulfills every 

 modern demand 

 Plan of the second floor without sacrificing 



