Cottage Architecture — the Author^ s Ovm, 535 
COTTAGE ARCHITECTURE— THE AUTHOR'S OWN. 
The engraving (fig. 38,) which embellishes this number of our 
Journal, is a perspective view of the cottage residence of Mr. W. 
H, Ranlett, the popular and well-known author of The Architect, 
now in course of publication,which we have heretofore frequently 
noticed in our pages. It occupies a beautiful site on Staten Island, 
near Port Richmond, and stands about fifty yards from the road, 
which runs in a southerly direction, on a lot of something more 
than an acre, fronting the east, surrounded by fruit trees, which 
by many are preferred to forest trees, though for shade and orna- 
ment, the latter are preferable. 
The rear of the lot is bounded by a brook, on the margin of 
which there is a belt of fine forest trees. The bank is about ten 
feet high, and the declivity sufficiently steep to afford fine sites 
for an ice house, poultry house, stable, &c. 
" The walks and carriage road are laid out in the natural style 
of landscape gardening. The borders are filled with a variety of 
shrubbery, producing a succession of flowers, through the season, 
and a variety of delicate fruit trees are arranged in such order as 
to ornament the place nearly or quite as much as the standard 
shrubs, that produce only flowers." 
This cottage is designed to accommodate a family of four to 
six persons, and the cost of erection was about $1,350. 
" 111 the composition of this design," says Mr. Ranlett, " the 
object is to combine convenience, economy and elegance in such 
a manner that neither shall predominate at the expense of the 
other. The exterior would be injured by more ornament, unless 
fully ornamented — and less would destroy the general harmony. 
The windows with the diagonal sashes, and the ornamented peaks 
of the roof, are the prominent features of the design." 
For the ground plan and estimates, we would refer to the first 
volume of The Architect. 
