274 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



August, 1 9 13 



The country home of Mr. William Watt, Nyack, New York, is an excellent example of the remodeled farmhouse 



A Remodeled Farmhouse at Nyack, New York 



By William T. Phillips 

 Photographs by T. C. Turner 



HAT is the charm which always seems to 

 surround a remodeled dwelling, if good taste 

 is displayed in the remodeling? From 

 the architect's point of view it is a fascin- 

 ating problem because, often, the difficulties 

 are apparently impossible to overcome. Of 



modeled by Hobart A. Walker, Architect of which we show 

 "before" and "after" illustrations. 



Mr. Watt's house is situated on high rolling land and 

 commands a beautiful and extended view of the Hudson 

 River and of the estates which lie to the eastward. It was 

 built about forty years ago. When the present owner 

 came into possession of this place he was attracted by the 



course this interest would be entirely lacking if the subject 



were originally so badly constructed or in such wretchedly wonderful orchards of apple and cherry trees, the old 



bad taste that the application of torch or axe would be pre- Wistaria vine which had taken thirty or forty years to reach 



ferable to the expenditure of thought and ingenuity in trying its present state of maturity, the fine old hedge of box, the 



to evolve a comfortable 

 modern home. There have 

 been many cases where 

 houses which to the layman 

 appear almost worthless 

 have been, at comparatively 

 slight expense, and with the 

 aid of skilful architects who 

 loved their work, so trans- 

 formed that the original 

 character and quaintness is 

 preserved and many modern 

 conveniences added so that 

 comfortable living is pos- 

 sible. A notable recent ex- 

 ample of such a remodeled 

 house is the attractive resi- 

 dence of Mr. William Watt 

 at Nyack, New York, re- 



The terrace side of the Watt house 



evergreen trees and other 

 evidences of the good taste 

 and thrift of earlier owners 

 of the place. The house 

 itself in any other locality 

 would have seemed almost 

 hopeless. Although the 

 timbers forming the frame- 

 work of the house were un- 

 usually solid and substantial, 

 the porch showed unmistak- 

 able signs of old age, the 

 blinds were all practically 

 useless, the roads had been 

 sadly neglected and a great 

 deal of work and study was 

 required to bring house and 

 grounds into a respectable, 

 sanitary modern condition. 



