April, 1909 
by weather, decay and vermin, it may be 
said very frankly that it is not an eco- 
nomical proposition for the small house. 
A large operation pays for itself; that is, 
the economies in the 
use of concrete as to 
labor, lumber for 
forms, etc., in a 
house to cost 
twenty thousand 
dollars or over, will 
make it compare 
very favorably with 
a house of brick, or 
even frame. But 
for the small house 
all the breaking in 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
SERVANTS 
Room. 
11—The second floor plan of Mr. Mebus’ house shows a servant’s room 
separate from the rest of the dwelling 
wf 
Syoeed 
Atty a 
BALCONY. 
161 
monolithic rein- 
forced _ concrete 
construction is not 
the only one in 
which concrete can 
profitably be used. 
Hollow tile, of con- 
crete or clay, is in- 
deed to-day very 
largely used in those 
larger houses for in- 
terior partitions, 
and they are coming 
largely into use for 
exterior walls of 
small houses. In 
fact, it might be 
12—The restful and simple house of Mr. Charles F. Mebus at Glenside, Pennsylvania, shows off charmingly against a background of trees 
of laborers, the charges for inspec- 
tion and engineering, design, etc., 
will be nearly the same as for a large 
Thus the apparent paradox 
house. 
may be easily sus- 
tained, that the 
owner can not afford 
to build a large 
house anything but 
fireproof, while he 
can hardly afford to 
build his small 
house entirely fire- 
proof. 
But certainly 
[ae 2 
DINING 
Room, 
14X17: 
13—The first floor plan shows a convenient 
possible to construct 
a kind of order of 
types of construc- 
tion for the smal] 
house in which the 
decrease in the cost 
is accompanied by 
a diminishing fire 
protection or length 
of life, in every 
item of which, 
however, there are 
to be traced very 
definite advantages 
from the use of con- 
