February, 1911 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
59 
Some Modern Homes 
By Paul Thurston 
URING the past few years there has been 
a great improvement, architecturally, in 
the designing and treatment of the small 
and inexpensive house. The picturesque 
quality of the English house, in many 
instances, has found a hearty welcome in 
the building of many of the modern 
American homes. The first house as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 
and 3 was designed after this kind of architectural form. 
It was built for Mr. Simon Gittleson, at Minneapolis, 
Minn.,. and from 
plans prepared by 
Mr. Cecil B. Chap- 
man, architect of 
the same city. 
The first story is 
constructed of red 
brick laid in Flem- 
ish bond, with white 
mortar, while the 
second and _ third 
stories are of half- 
timbered work. 
ere beams “a fe 
stained a dark soft 
brown tone and the 
panels of stucco 
have a pebble dash 
finish. The roof is 
covered with brown 
stained shingles. 
The entrance is 
through a_ broad 
vestibule to the hall, 
to the right of 
which is the recep- 
tion-room. dpe 
inner wall surface of the reception-room is formed in con- 
bination with the staircase, the columns of which extend 
from the floor to the ceiling, supporting a beamed archway. 
Similar columns and arches are placed at the opening from 
the hall to the living-room. The latter has an open fire- 
place with tile facings and hearth, and a mantel. French 
‘windows open at the end of the living-room to the sunroom 
built at the rear of the house. 
The dining-room is separated from the living-room by 
sliding doors. One side of the former is devoted to the 
sideboard in the center of the wall space, with a china closet 
Dining Room 
|| | Porch g 
136 X16 
Living Room 
136 X 25° 
Screened Porch 
11 6X 13° 
Fig. 2—First floor plan 
Fig. (EA house of brick and stucco 
built at one side, while a corresponding door leads to the 
butler’s pantry. 
The kitchen and its dependencies are complete in their 
appointments. 
The second floor contains three bedrooms, a bathroom, a 
large den and a screened-porch for sleeping uses. The bath- 
room is tiled and is furnished with porcelain fixtures and 
exposed nickel-plated plumbing. 
A private staircase leads to the servant’s quarters 
and to the trunk rooms in the third story of the house. 
The heating ap- 
paratus, fuel-rooms, 
laundry and cold 
storage-room are 
placed in the cellar. 
The house illus- 
trated in Figs. 4, 5 
and 6 was built for 
Mr. Peter S. Burg- 
hart, also at Min- 
neapolis, and from 
plans prepared by 
Cecil B. Chapman. 
The design of 
this house is another 
adaptation of the 
English house. The 
first story is built 
of red brick laid in 
white mortar. The 
second story is of 
frame construction, 
with the exterior 
covered with stucco 
finished with a peb- 
ble dash. The third 
story is beamed, 
forming panels, which are also filled in with similar stucco. 
The trimmings and beams are painted a dark bottle green. 
The shingled roof is stained a moss green. 
There is a central hall terminating in a den built at the 
rear of the house. 
The living-room, to the right of the entrance, is provided 
with a large open fireplace, with a mantel made from a 
special design. 
A feature of the plan is the living-porch built at the rear 
of the house and facing the garden. It is enclosed 
with wire mesh in summer and with glass in winter. 
Chamber 
Roof 
Rear Hall 
Screened 
Porch 
10 X 12’ 
Fig. 3—Second floor plan 
