March, 1908 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



97 



The Summer Home of Spencer Hall, Esq., Water Witch, N. J. 



Built in the Mission Style of Architecture 



By Charles Chauncey 



,HE visitor to California who exclaims over 

 the Spanish Missions and views with delight 

 the numerous successful country homes 

 built in the Mission style by the people of 

 that State, usually takes it for granted that 

 the Mission style is impossible for the rest 

 of the United States. But, fortunately, 

 this is not the case, for the reason that in the southern and 

 western States, there are many fine examples of this particular 

 style of architecture with its usual construction. The great 

 hotels of Florida — for instance the Ponce-de-Leon at St. 

 Augustine — testify to the possibilities of this style of archi- 

 tecture as well as many of the fine residences and buildings 

 of the northern States. 



The Mission style is essentially an adaptation of Spanish 

 and Moorish architecture, adapted to the climatic conditions 

 of California, and while it is primarily a warm climate style, 

 it can be, and is to a large extent, modified to meet eastern 

 and northern requirements. 



Mr. Spencer Hall accepted this style of architecture as the 



prototype for his house, designed by Mr. L. A. Ford, archi- 

 tect, of New York. Mr. Hall had made a special study 

 of this class of work, and while he has modeled his design, 

 he did not accept the form of construction nor the materials 

 of which it was to be built until he very carefully examined 

 the principles of building for this class of house, which he 

 found in the vicinity of Philadelphia. After careful con- 

 sideration he became acquainted with the possibilities of this 

 form of construction, and engaged the men on the spot and 

 even went so far as to have them bring carloads of sand, 

 lime and cement from Pennsylvania to Water Witch with 

 which to build his house. 



The house was built of the usual frame construction. The 

 exterior studs were covered with two thicknesses of good 

 building paper, and then with matched sheathing. On this 

 sheathing were placed furring strips, upon which ordinary 

 wooden lath were nailed. And this method not only allowed 

 of an air space, but also formed a key for the mortar. This 

 wooden lath was given a scratch coat to form a key, and then 

 a good, thick brown coat, finishing with a stucco finish of 



The Mission Type Has Been Chosen for the Style of Architecture 



