December, 1906 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



379 



house. What it lacks in extent it makes up in elaboration. 

 The arches are adorned with the most delicate of stucco 

 work. The designer chose the appropriate palm as his 

 model: the pillars are broad at the base, slender at the top, 

 spreading into a curved arch above. He has returned to 

 the Moorish arabesque which the Mission fathers renounced 

 as too worldly. 



Beyond the elementary form of the Moorish aich the Mis- 

 sions did not go in ornamentation, and even this did not ap- 

 pear in all of them by any means. San Diego and San Luis 



The Patio at Casa de Rosas 



Rey, two of the wealthiest, show the arch at its best. It is a 

 feature of many of the new houses. The houses of de 

 Longpre at Hollywood, Harrison Grey Otis at Los Angeles, 

 Stewart at Pasadena and Burrage at Redlands display fine 

 examples of the arch. 



The most beautiful feature of the Missions was the inner 

 corridor, built around the quadrangular court and offering 

 the priests a secluded walk in the air and sun. None of the 

 private houses are extensive enough to make this feature 

 practicable, but it has been beautifully carried out in Stan- 

 ford University. Its inner corridor, extending completely 

 around the court, measures a walk of a quarter-mile. 



Very few pretend to put up a Mission house without roof- 

 ing it with the curved red tiles that are typical of the early 

 years. Without them the gay color scheme would be incom- 



plete. Only a few display shingles. The early tile was 

 in U form ; modern cleverness has found that it can achieve 

 the same effect by molding a tile in S form and making one 

 tile cover both the upward and downward curve. 



Those who cling to historical accuracy insist upon the wide, 

 projecting eaves. The Los Angeles home of J. Parkinson 

 shows a marked example of these eaves. 



The true Mission imitator builds his home only one story 

 in height, but few home owners are willing to sacrifice space 

 to history. The one-story idea is being made use of in sev- 

 eral public schools, which are not only true to their 

 model but in accordance with the latest theories on 

 school building. 



A resident of Altadena has built his home with 

 a first story of stone such as some of the wealthiest 

 missions were fortunate enough to have instead of 

 adobe. The stone walls of Santa Barbara measured 

 six feet in thickness: these were made firm by but- 

 tresses of solid stone. An Altadena home has left 

 the stone in view instead of covering it with the 

 cement and calcimine, so that the color effect is 

 unique. Deep chocolate trimmings and brown 

 shingles soften the glare of the light cement. The 

 effect is very subdued as compared with most 

 houses of the school, which show the bright red 

 roof, and, in some cases, the strong green trim- 

 mings such as are found in foreign countries. 



One bit of realism in the shape of a Los Angeles 

 cottage went so far as to surmount itself with a 

 tiny bell tower and even a swaying bell which 

 peeps through the four openings just as the bells 

 of Santa Barbara and San Buenaventura do. The 

 cottage is built only one story in height, possesses 

 a tiny rose-covered arcade and is surrounded by 

 palms and orange trees. 



Within, those who care for realism are furnishing these 

 Mission homes in the simplest and most severe styles. The 

 demand for Mission furniture for them has been great: some 

 insist upon upholstering the chairs with interlaced strips of 

 rawhide as in the early days. 



One San Francisco architect has entered a protest against 

 the introduction of Moorish elaboration in the modern 

 buildings, and has designed several houses according to the 

 rigid severity of the simplest Missions. But there is little 

 sign of this fashion going far. An opposing architect says, 

 "So long as we imitate all the beauties of the Padres' build- 

 ing, why should we not add the lavishness of adornment that 

 wealth now makes possible?" And, as it appears, the great 

 majority of California home-builders agree. 



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