December, 1908 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



469 



A House at New Haven, Connecticut 



By Charles Chauncey 



N interesting house is the one built for 

 Mrs. Clara A. Wilbur, at New Haven, 

 Conn., from plans prepared by Mr. 

 Grosvenor Atterbury, architect, of New 

 York. 



It is a simple house, embracing many 

 characteristics which appeal to the builder 



of small artistic houses. The low, overhanging roof, 



which slopes down to the first story studding, naturally 



impresses one with the fact that the second story is low 



studded, and without the proper head room. The fact is, 



all the second story rooms have square ceilings and this is 



brought about by the clever handling of a broad dormer 



window which extends nearly across the entire width of the 



house. By this means, the elevations are kept low, not only 



in effect, but in reality, and at the same time the sleeping 



rooms are provided with square walls and ceilings. 



The underpinning is of red brick laid in red mortar. 



The superstructure is of 



wood and the exterior 



framework is covered with 



shingles left to weather 



finish, and the trimmings 



are painted brown and the 



blinds green. The chimney 



is built of brick, the same 



as the underpinning, and 



is a feature of the exterior. 



A small entrance porch is 



built in the center of the 



front, from which a door 



opens into the hall. 



The trim of this hall, 



as well as all the trim of 



the first floor, is of cy- 

 press, stained and finished 



in a dark Flemish brown. 



The length of the hall is 



divided by a broad plat- 

 form the full width of the 



hall, which is two steps 



above the level of the floor, 



and from which two steps 



descend at the rear. A 



staircase with square newel 



posts and balusters ascends 



from this platform. A 



highboy of rare design is 



placed on one side of the 



hall, while a "lover's set- 

 tle" and antique chairs are 



placed on the other. The 



platform contains an old 



English chest, over which is 



hung a Queen Anne mirror. 

 To the left of the hall is 



the living-room, and nearly 



opposite the entrance is the 



open fireplace, built of 



klinker brick and laid up 



in a rough manner. A pan- 

 eled overmantel with mir- 







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rors extends from the mantel shelf to the ceiling. One of 

 the accessories of the living-room is the library alcove, in 

 which are built bookcases. A Persian rug covers the floor, 

 soft muslin draperies are hung at the windows, and antique 

 furniture supplies the ornaments for the room. Directly op- 

 posite the entrance to the living-room is the dining-room, 

 which has a dado of Japanese matting to the height of seven 

 feet, finished with a plate rack. A fireplace with facings and 

 hearth of rough red brick is finished with a mantel shelf 

 on the line with the plate rack, and is supported on corbel 

 brackets. The dining table in the room is one formerly 

 owned by Lester Wallack, the well-known actor. 



A butler's pantry forms a connection to the kitchen, and 

 it is supplied with a sink and a dresser for the china. The 

 kitchen is fitted with a large dresser, range, sink, laundry 

 tubs, and porch. A rear stairway has not been provided, 

 but the front stairs are placed in such a position as to ex- 

 clude the necessity of a rear stairway. The cellar stairs 



descend under the front 

 stairs and are reached by 

 a door opening from the 

 kitchen. This arrangement 

 permits the owner of the 

 house to reach the cellar 

 without entering the service 

 part of the house. 



The second story rooms 

 are arranged in suites, con- 

 taining two bedrooms and 

 connecting by a bathroom, 

 one on either end of the 

 house. Two of the bed- 

 rooms have open fireplaces 

 of brick and neat wooden 

 mantels, and each one is 

 decorated in one particular 

 color scheme. The bath- 

 rooms have porcelain fix- 

 tures and exposed nickel- 

 plated plumbing. The ser- 

 vants' quarters are in the 

 third floor. There is also 

 ample storage space on this 

 floor. A heating appara- 

 tus, fuel rooms, and cold 

 storage space is provided 

 in the cellar. 



The house, and the 

 grounds surrounding it, 

 represent all that is best 

 in a modern house of sim- 

 ple character, built on a 

 suburban lot of small di- 

 mensions. The house in it- 

 self is equipped throughout 

 with all the best modern 

 conveniences which are to 

 be found in a well regu- 

 lated house. 



The grounds are in- 

 closed with a fence in the 

 form of a pergola. 



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