148 
sense of roominess, even of 
spaciousness. On the other 
hand those dark ages of do- 
mestic architecture prevail- 
ing in America from the 
year 1870 until a decade 
ago witnessed the building 
of many dwellings, enor- 
mous in external propor- 
tions but so poorly planned 
as to seem like a doll’s play- 
house when one had the mis- 
fortune to be forced to live 
within their walls. Happily 
the greater number of these 
dwellings were flimsily con- 
structed of wood and have long since retired to their proper 
estate—junk yard and kindling box, leaving us to redeem 
our architectural faults of yesterday with the splendid ac- 
complishments of our American architects of to-day along 
all lines, and especially in the 
planning and design of the 
small house. 
The notion, once prevalent, 
| that if one had a small lot he 
| should seek to cover it up with 
a large house, even if but two 
people were to occupy it, has 
long since given way to our 
realization that the house 
PantRy#STORE 
Room 
— {= 
VERANDA 
must be considered in the re- 
lationship to its site, and that 
if we must have a large house 
we must have a proper sized 
First floor plan, Gosman house 
AMERICAN HOMES 
Floor plans of the Johnson house 
The Hone of Mr. J. W. Gosman, at Caldwell Cedars, Caldwell, New Jersey, a small house of unusual merit, both in plan and in its design 
AND GARDENS May, 1912 
site for it. Of course there 
will, perhaps, remain a 
vast number of persons the 
world over whose circum- 
stances will not permit 
them to attain their cher- 
ished desire, and yet the 
person who longs to pos- 
sess and who seeks to own 
a small house of his own is 
bound to reach his heart's 
desire if he remains faith- 
ful to his enthusiasm for 
his dream-to-come-true. 
We are wont to associate 
the thought of the small 
house with the starting out in life of the young husband and 
his bride, and it is a happy image for us to conjure up to 
the vision. Nevertheless, it is probable that the small house 
finds among its builders as many others. Wherefore it 
must lend itself to an endless number of requirements, must 
fit itself to many varied ne- 
cessities. 
The reader will find illus- 
trated here a number of 
small houses together with 
diagrams of their floor plans. | 
A careful study of these lat-[— 
ter will indicate the requi- 
sites of the various families 
occupying them, and to the 
prospective home-builder 
such a study will serve to : 
initiate him in the intricacies 
BEDROOM 
Second floor plan, Gosman house 
