April, 1908 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



i39 



feet long, the length of a ship's deck, so that he might have a 

 place in which to walk and exercise. To utilize this great 

 length it was found necessary to build three rooms deep, each 

 one being twenty feet square. She also built in the hall a 

 twin staircase, rising from both the front and 

 rear entrance doorways, to a broad joint 

 landing at the second story. This was 

 done so that the "sea-dog" might 

 think himself going up to the 

 hurricane deck on one side and 

 down to the main deck on the 

 othe,r. The idea created 

 an unusual arrangement 

 not to be found in any 

 Colonial house of rec- 

 ord. In order to 

 make a schoolroom, 

 Mr. Beach removed 

 all the partitions be- 

 tween the rooms on 

 the first floor, and it 

 remained in this 

 condition until the 

 present owner 

 placed it in the 

 hands of his archi- 

 tect, Mr. Francis Du- 

 rando Nichols, of 



Bridgeport, Conn., for the purpose of transforming it into a 

 modern residence. The house was in a good state of preserva- 

 tion and was in reality only waiting for a future development, 

 rather than a transformation. The main detail was classic; 

 the portico, at the front, was excellent, but the 

 length of the house was too great for its 

 width, so that in order to break the 

 elongated lines the architect built a 

 large bay window on the north 

 side, and on the south added 

 a sun-room, with detail and 

 Doric columns to corre- 

 spond with the classic 

 character of the older 

 parts. A butler's pan- 

 try was built on the 

 east end, together 

 with a new porch 

 which was required. 

 This concluded the 

 additions to the ex- 

 terior. 



The absence of 

 superfluous orna- 

 ments, and the so- 

 lidity of the walls of 

 the house, which were 

 built of wood and lined 



The Remodeled House Showing the Exterior Changes Made on the North and South Sides 



