140 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



April, 1908 



with brick, offered ample opportunities for modification and 

 enrichment. Woe to the architect, however, if any change 

 had been made without restraint, good taste and judgment, 

 which considerations, if not rightly heeded, might have made 

 the place lose the distinction of character which was only 

 waiting to be developed. The amount of change has cer- 

 tainly not been excessive, and the improvements have been 

 carried out in sympathy with its subject and its environments. 

 The underpinning had bulged out, so it was found neces- 

 sary to jack the house up, tie it together with steel rods 

 and rebuild it. The platform on which the portico rests was 

 rebuilt, but the front door was maintained, except that new 



wall opposite and on the right side of the hall and repeat 

 the arch and columns. By this alteration a broad transverse 

 vista is extended through the library, taking in the fireplace, 

 and beyond to the sun-room. 



The hall and the interior throughout contained a simple 

 trim with fluted bands and corner blocks. This was retained, 

 and on the level of the window sills a heavily molded chair 

 rail was extended around the hall and the three rooms on the 

 first story, up the stairways and around the hall of the second 

 story, creating the effect of a Colonial wainscoting, which 

 enhanced the value of the interior decoration. The classic 

 detail of the exterior was repeated throughout the interior, 



Mahogany Furniture of the Colonial Period, a Queen Anne Mirror, Banjo Clock, and an Old Franklin Stove in the Fireplace 



Are Some of the Ornaments of the Library 



leaded glass side windows and transoms were inserted. 

 In the interior the great school-room was divided into three 

 rooms — a drawing-room, library and dining-room. The 

 drawing-room and library are in reality one room, though 

 they are separated by an archway supported on Ionic columns, 

 while a wall containing sliding doors was inserted between 

 the library and the dining-room. The sun-room was built 

 so that it might be easily reached from each of the three 

 rooms. The old windows were removed, the wall cut to the 

 floor, and French windows were installed, forming con- 

 venient access to the sun-room. 



The fine old staircase, rising from either end of the hall, 

 formed an archway, at the corners of which were fluted Ionic 

 columns. The wall space was broken at the north side of the 

 house and a great bay window was built, which was lighted 

 by three windows, in front of which is placed a circular win- 

 dow seat. This made a very attractive feature, but to in- 

 crease the beauty of the effect it was decided to break the 



and a cornice eighteen inches in depth, and of a character 

 similar to the exterior frieze, was built at the intersection of 

 the wall and ceiling throughout the first floor. 



In the hall the wall space between the wainscoting and 

 cornice is covered with a German wall paper in two tones of 

 old rose with a heavy brocaded finish, while the walls of the 

 drawing-room and library are covered in a two-tone mustard- 

 colored silk. The dining-room walls between the wainscot- 

 ing and cornice are covered with tapestry in green trees on 

 a blue background. 



The staircases in the hall, which are of mahogany, have 

 been cleaned down, and in the removal of the varnish a com- 

 pass in inlaid work was discovered on the top of each newel 

 just where the rail sweeps down and forms a circle. 



Oriental rugs in harmonizing colors of old rose, yellow 

 and brown cover the highly polished floor of oak, while a 

 thousand legged table, Chippendale chairs, an Empire sofa 

 upholstered in old rose, a grandfather's clock, and family 



