August, 1906 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



87 





6 — The Construction of the Columns to the Piazza 



concrete construction is "Grasslands" (Figs. 2 and 4), and 

 erected for Alexander Smith Cochrane, Esq., at East View, 

 N. Y., of which Mr. Robert W. Gardner, of New York, is 

 the architect. It is a most imposing house, and stands 

 upon a site of a former dwelling of historic interest. Its 

 silver-gray walls and roof blend well into the soft green of 

 the magnificent trees with which the site abounds, and which 

 form a very delightful setting for the house. 



The walls are built of solid concrete, resting on a stone 

 foundation. The forms for the walls were made so that the 

 walls could be built one story at a time, and were constructed 

 of rough lumber. These forms were fastened together with 

 iron rods with key nuts and washers, passing through the 

 walls in the lines of uprights, serving to hold the boards in 

 place and to prevent spreading as the concrete was deposited, 

 rammed and spaded. 



The window and door frames were placed in position be- 

 fore the walls were commenced. The forms were filled with 

 concrete composed of one part of Portland cement, two parts 

 of sand and four parts of cinders. 



As the walls progressed they were reinforced by one- 

 quarter inch steel rods. Furring strips were embedded in 

 the inside of the walls for the purpose of having something 

 to nail the paneled work to after the walls were built. 



The beams, which are placed some ten feet apart, are also 

 built of similar concrete, and are reinforced with three- 

 quarter inch steel rods. Between these beams the forms were 

 built on which the floor was laid. This floor is reinforced 

 with three-quarter inch steel rods, and is three and one-half 

 inches in thickness; the reinforcement being placed in posi- 

 tion before the floor is laid, and sufficient distance from the 



iorms to secure a proper key. After the floor was set, the 

 forms were removed and the floor made ready for use. This 

 completed the first story. The same methods were used in 

 constructing the second story. 



The roof, three and one-half inches thick, was built on a 

 form in a manner similar to the floor. Figs. 7 and 8 show the 

 manner in which the roof was constructed, which is built 

 similar to the roof of the house shown in Fig. 12. 



After the whole building was completed the walls and rool 

 of the exterior were treated with a wash of La Farge cement, 

 which gives it a soft tone of coloring, thereby overcoming 

 the cold gray of the natural cement color. 



During the progress of the work, orders were given for the 

 interior trim and woodwork, so that immediately after the 

 exterior was completed, the interior walls of the hall, living 

 and dining-rooms were covered with paneled work, which 

 had been made in advance and in sections, and which were 

 made to extend from the floor to the ceiling. This paneled 

 work and trim were treated with five coats of paint, with a 

 finish coat in white enamel. The Colonial characteristics 



■ I I I N 



-The Roof, its First Coat of Concrete and the Reinforcing 

 Rods in Place 



7 — The Forms for the Roof, Showing the Reinforcement 

 Rods in Position Ready for the Concrete 



dominate the treatment of the interior. The hall is a cen- 

 tral one, and it contains an attractive, but simple staircase 

 with white enameled treads, risers and balusters and a ma- 

 hogany rail. It has a broad landing with a French window 

 opening upon a balcony inclosed with an ornamental iron 

 railing. Broad doorways with windows on either side at the 

 front and rear give ample light and ventilation. 



To the left of the hall is the large living-room, which ex- 

 tends through the entire depth of the house. The fireplace 

 is built of concrete with soapstone linings and hearth. The 

 facings are of black and gold marble, and the mantel, of 

 handsome design in the Colonial style, was one removed 

 from the old house which was built upon the site before the 

 Revolution. The ceiling is plastered, and the concrete beams 

 are covered with wooden panel work. French windows open 

 upon the piazza, the roof of which is supported on solid col- 

 umns built of concrete, shown in the course of construction 

 in Fig. 6. This piazza floor and terrace are laid with red 

 brick. Near the front entrance the den is placed, and is con- 

 veniently fitted up. The dining-room has also an open fire- 

 place furnished the same as the one in the living-room. On 



