236 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



October, 1905 



The Summer Home 

 of Alfred J. Nathan, Esq. 



Elberon, New Jersey 



|^3 T IS perfectly true that the building 

 in this country of the summer home 

 is much more elaborately and ex- 

 pensively done than it has ever been 

 before, and it is also equally true 

 that it is possible to obtain a very 

 excellent result by the co-operation of a little com- 

 mon sense on the part of the owner and a little good 

 taste on the part of a well trained architect, to build 

 an attractive and serviceable house. 



The house and garden belonging to Alfred J. 

 Nathan, Esq., at Elberon, N. J., was built from 

 plans prepared by Mr. A. J. Manning, who has 

 exercised a great deal of care in the planning of the 

 house and the laying out of the grounds which sur- 

 round it and form its setting. The site is a long, un- 

 attractive sand flat extending from Ocean Avenue to 

 the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, but by raising a ter- 

 race around the house and depressing the grade at 

 the north. end a very attractive effect has been made 

 by relieving the monotony of the extensive level and 

 entirely changing the topography from a flat piece 

 of land to an uneven surface. 



The grounds were laid out with a view to secur- 

 ing the greatest amount of lawn space, and in order 

 to obtain this the stable and gate lodge were placed 

 at the avenue end of the site, while the driveway was 

 placed at the extreme northern boundary of the 

 property, from which a sweeping road leads up to 

 the porte-cochere at the front of the house. The 

 main driveway continues through a gateway into 

 this depressed inclosure with high brick walls, which 

 form the service facilities for the house. The grade 

 of this inclosure is on the level with the basement 

 floor, in which the kitchen is placed. 



At the front of the house is a small pool, circular 

 in form, in the center of which is a graceful little 

 figure of a Cupid embracing a dolphin, from whose 

 mouth a jet of water plays into the air, and then 

 splashes over the numerous water lilies floating upon 

 the surface of the pool. Marble seats are placed at 

 intervals around the pool. 



To the south side of the house the sunken garden 

 is placed, and is reached by marble steps. It is a 

 large, rectangular area, and laid out with graveled 

 walks, meeting in a central circle, in the middle of 

 which is placed a handsomely carved sun-dial. At 

 one side, opposite the stone steps, is a great stone 

 semicircular seat of marble, with vases on either 

 side. Other marble seats are placed at the end of 

 the crosswalks. The planting of this garden and 

 the estate in general are extensive and effective. 



The house is constructed with red brick for the 

 first story and stucco for the second story and gables, 

 the whole being crowned with a Spanish tile roof of 

 a brilliant tone of color, very much in keeping with 

 the design, which is of the Spanish style of archi- 

 tecture. After passing through the vestibule, which 

 is provided with a coat closet on one side and a toilet 

 on the other, the main hall is reached. This hall, 

 30 x 40 feet, with the trim in the Spanish style, is 



