July, 1906 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



23 



How a Two-Family House was Remodeled into a Private Dwelling 



And Its Grounds Transformed into a Beautiful Garden 



By Francis Durando Nichols 



PLAN <OF -THE - JECOND - FLOOR. - 



The House Before it was Altered Showing the Old Porch in its Conventional Form 



at the Front of the House 



OW to remodel a modern two-family house 

 into a private dwelling, and to cultivate its 

 surrounding grounds into a beautiful gar- 

 den, was the problem which the well known 

 Boston architect, Mr. L. S. Couch, had to 

 solve, when he remodeled his house and 

 garden at Danvers, Mass. The first problem was, of course, 

 the house, which required skillful attention in order to pre- 

 serve its outlines which were very good, and 

 also its gambrel roof of Dutch character. 

 A study of the elevations from the photo- 

 graphs of the building as it was and as it 

 now is, will show that the amount of change 

 has not been excessive, and that the entire 

 improvements have been carried out in sym- 



pathy with the subject and its environments. The only 

 visible difference in the exterior is the changes made in the 

 entrance porch; the old entrance porch being enclosed with 

 glass, forming a sun-room with entrance to it from the liv- 

 ing-room, while a new entrance porch was built at the corner 

 of the house. Access to this porch is obtained from the 

 drive which enters from the road. It faces the formal gar- 

 den, and under the shelter of its roof a doorway has been 



PLAN -OF 'THE- F1RJT' FLOOR.' 



The Alteration of the Exterior has not been Excessive. The Principal Change has been in 



the Adoption of a Side Porch and Entrance, and Transforming the 



Old Porch into a Sun Room 



