February, 1906 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 107 
Inexpensive English Houses That Might Be Adapted 
to American Uses 
By Sydney Hungerford 
HE Garden City movement in England at- 
tracted attention almost from its inception. 
Its purpose was the creation of villages and 
towns, planned in an artistic way to meet 
modern requirements, and provided with 
: well designed houses at moderate cost, the 
whole adapted to the needs of workingmen. Several experi- 
ments of this sort have been made in that country. ‘That 
their sociological interest is very great is, of course, apparent ; 
and that they have an artistic interest, far surpassing in this 
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only solution of the problem was to provide inexpensive 
sanitary houses in the country within easy access of the work- 
shops. He decided, therefore, to make a practical experiment 
in social reform by building a model village at Bouenville. 
The village of Bouenville, which is in the northeast of 
Worcestershire, four miles southwest of Birmingham, has 
been built since 1895, but in 1900, when it contained about 
three hundred and seventy cottages, Mr. Cadbury secured the 
perpetuation of the scheme by handing the entire property, 
consisting of three hundred and thirty acres, with its cottages, 
Types of Houses in the Bouenville Settlement 
respect anything of the kind that has been attempted in 
America, is their great good fortune. 
One of the most interesting ventures of this sort is sup- 
plied by the Bouenville Village Trust, an estate which owes its 
existence to Mr. George Cadbury, of Northfield, near Birm- 
ingham. Mr. Cadbury wished to alleviate the evils which 
arose from unsanitary and insufficient housing accommoda- 
tion, and to secure for his work people in his cocoa factory the 
advantages of outdoor village life; he had made a study of 
existing social conditions among the working classes of the 
city, and realized what a terrible evil overcrowding in con- 
gested districts had become, and was convinced that the 
over to a board of trustees. The revenues of the estate are 
paid to the trustees and are solely applied to maintaining the 
property, to building new houses and to acquiring fresh 
land. Since then building has been steadily going on, until 
the number of houses erected is nearly six hundred. The 
village is not only intended for those who work in the cocoa 
works, but is open to any one wishing to enjoy its advantages. 
Every encouragement is given to those who rent the houses 
to beautify their homes and add to their appearance by culti- 
vating their gardens. [he average space allotted to each 
house is six hundred square yards, and every one is planned 
to occupy about one-quarter of the site upon which it is built. 
