July, 1905 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



1 1 



Notable American Homes 



By Barr Ferree 



'The Rocks," The Country Seat of Eben D. Jordan, Esq., West Manchester, Mass. 



PICTURESQUE place, picturesquely sit- 

 uated, is a rapid but quite accurate descrip- 

 tion of Mr. Jordan's extensive country seat 

 at West Manchester. In reality it is much 

 more than this, for its picturesque quality is 

 at once studied and natural. It is studied, in 

 that the utmost advantage has been made of the natural sur- 

 roundings : it is natural, in that the organic beauties of the 

 site — the elements of natural attractiveness that determined 

 the erection of a building on this spot, and the development 



charm of the estate, and the charm of each is not only great 

 of its kind, but the immediate juxtaposition of such diverse 

 developments of nature is itself beautiful ana impressive. 

 Quite naturally, therefore, the rocky formation gives the 

 name, " The Rocks," to the estate; quite naturally the house 

 is placed on the furthest verge of the land, immediately over- 

 looking the sea; and quite naturally a thoroughly pictur- 

 esque style of architecture was chosen for the building, very 

 happily in keeping with the irregular character of the sur- 

 roundings. 



The Terrace 



of a large country estate here — have, in their turn, been 

 correlated to the house, the grounds and other buildings. 



These matters are quite essential to the well-being of a 

 house from an architectural standpoint, and they are funda- 

 mental truths that are very excellently illustrated in this fine 

 dwelling. The landscape at once determined the general 

 style of the house and gave it its name. A vast pile of rocks, 

 thoroughly picturesque as such natural formations invariably 

 are, bound the water side of the estate, beyond which are the 

 deep waters of the Atlantic. Further inland is a magnificent 

 forest. These two features constitute the great natural 



The house is reached by a splendid avenue that approaches 

 it through grounds laid out with fine taste and kept in beau- 

 tiful condition. It leads immediately to a spacious fore- 

 court, where a flight of stone steps is the approach to a ter- 

 race, grassed and planted in the Italian style and containing 

 carved marble seats and tables. Verandas on either side 

 bring the house onto the terrace, one of them serving as an 

 outdoor living-room. 



The house is built of rough-faced red brick with Indiana 

 limestone trimmings. The upper story is chiefly in half- 

 timber work. The Elizabethan has been chosen for the 



