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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



September, 1906 



Ox Pasture Hill 



The Home of Edward B. George, Esq., at Rowley, Massachuetts 



By Lilian Harrod 



IX PASTURE HILL," the summer home of 

 Edward B. George, Esq., is only thirty 

 miles from Boston, and as we alighted at 

 the little country station in Rowley and 

 noted the river lazily wandering in and out 

 among the marshes on its way to the sea, 

 we thought we had indeed reached a fair and goodly coun- 

 try. We thought so still more as we drove along the elm- 

 shaded roads and up the slope of the hill on which stood this 

 most attractive summer home. 



The house is designed to be the home of a gentleman of 

 moderate means, but of artistic perceptions and desires. 

 Simplicity throughout has been the keynote, and the house is 

 neither a suburban residence, nor a farmhouse, nor an adap- 

 tation of a city dwelling, but a simple, unostentatious coun- 

 try home. 



It stands just underneath the crest of the hill, and the view 

 of the surrounding country is far and unbroken on every side. 

 To the south stretch green meadows, where purple shadows 

 linger and the distant cow-bells tinkle musically across the 

 meadows. To the east is the blue line of the ocean, with 

 here and there a white sail, touched for the instant by the 

 glory of the departing day. To the north the white hills 



lift their stately peaks heavenward, all beautiful and serene. 

 The exterior of the house is of brick. The color is a very 

 dark, dull red, and the selected common brick was used with 

 dark headers. The work was laid up in what is called 

 Flemish bond with Portland-cement mortar, and after the 

 mortar was set slightly the joints were raked out to a depth 

 of one-half inch to three-quarters inch. The consequence is 

 that the wall presents a texture which could not be obtained 

 if the joints were filled and joined in the usual manner. Each 

 brick counts for itself, and the fact that the bricks are rough 

 is an advantage rather than a detriment, giving the wall- 

 surface much the texture of a pencil-sketch. Wide, over- 

 hanging eaves and broad, low dormers help to bring the 

 scale of the house down close to the ground, and dignity is 

 supplied by the tall columns and the pediment marking the 

 center of the south front. The driveway leads up to the 

 porte-cochere on the center of the north front, thus leaving 

 the entire south unobstructed and giving an exquisite view 

 from all the rooms, embracing the wide sweep from Cape 

 Ann to the Monadnock Mountain. Every room in the 

 house enjoys a considerable portion of this view, and every 

 room, up-stairs and down, gets a full share of sunshine — the 

 living-room being flooded with it, while the disposition of 



A White Painted Trim and Green Walls are the Prevailing Colors of the Hall 



