1865.] 
AMERICAN AGRIGULTUmST. 
41 
Cheap Frame House, with Specifications. 
Tlie house plan lierewilh presented is sent to 
tbe American Agriculturist by a practical buiUler, 
Jlr. J. P. Hopper, Godwinville, N. .J., and is, 
with a few slight modifications, preciselj' as fur- 
nished by him for a house in Hobokeu Town- 
ship. The specifications were calculated ou 
prices prevailing hero a 3'ear ago, so as to bring 
Fi?, 3— FlKST Fr.noE, ok okotind Plaic. A„ Hr>U ; B., Sitting 
lioom or Parlor : C, Kitciifn; D., Bedroom; E., Bed- 
room or Store Iloom ; JV., JV., Closets, sizes indicated. 
the cost within $1,GOO, which price would, how- 
ever, be considerably exceeded now. The 
house fronts toward the north, having a piazza 
on the front and east sides, shown only on the 
front in the plans (figs. 3 and 3). The front 
door, 4 feet 8 inches in width, opens into an 
cnti-y sufficiently capacious, containing the stair- 
case. From this wc enter the silting room or 
parlor on tlie left, or pass through to the kitchen 
in the rear. On the right of the passage is a 
room entered fronr the kitchen, answering the 
double purpose of store room and kitchen closet 
or buttery. A small bedroom on the same floor 
communicates botli with the kitchen and the 
parlor. There is a cellar under the whole 
house, the stairs to wliicli descend just outside 
the backdoor. The house is 26 by 28 feet; 
height between joints is as follows: cellar 7 
feet, first floor 9 feet, chamber floor 8 feet. 
" SPECIFICATIONS 
of materials and workmansliip required in tlie 
erection and completion of a dwelling house 
to be huilt according to accompanying plans ; 
all materials to be of merchantable quality, and 
all work to be done in a 
good and substantial man- 
ner, and the ground cleared 
of rubbish and left in good 
shape, etc., etc. — Cellar to 
be made 41 feet deep ; 
foundation walls to he stone, 
laid in lime and sand nior- 
tar,18 inches thick and 7 feet 
high, and neatly pointed. 
"Windows in cellar 4, 10 by 
15 glass, 3 lights wide 
Frame, 20x38 feet, with IS 
feet posts and hip roof, of 
sound, spruce or hemlock 
timber; posts and sills 4 
by 8 inches ; the tics and 
plates 4 by G ; rafters 2 by 
C ; studs 3 by 4, and 2 by 4 ; all beams 8 by 
8; second floor ceiling pieces 2 by G inches. The 
wliole to be well framed and braced ; all beams 
and rafters 24 inches between centres ; studding 
and second story ceiling pieces 16 inches be- 
tween centers. . . . Outside, to be of good narrow 
siding, say 5 or 6 inches to the weather, and 
lappiug 1 inch, with close joints, and nailed to 
each post, brace and stud. — Water-table, cor- 
Fi;;. 3.— Second Flooe, on CiiAUnEn Plan, IT., Iltill ; J., K., 
L., M., Bedrooms of the sizes indicated; 2i\, JV., Closets. 
ners, window and door casings, Ij inches thick, 
the water-table rabbeted. The cellar stairs to be 
inclosed with narrow beaded ceiling boards. . . . 
Cornice, according to plan (fig. 4) ; that on piaz- 
za \ smaller than that of main roof. . . . finz^n. 
— Rafters 2 by 4, planed smooth, covered with 
narrow beaded ceiling stuff; gutter formed to 
discharge the water at two points. Columns 
and caps according to fig. .5 Roof and back 
stoop rafters, covered with 1 inch spruce or 
hemlock boards, with close joints and well 
nailed on each rafter. Gutters formed to dis- 
charge the water at two points by leaders to the 
ground. Hoofing. — Any good cement or other 
roofing, the cost not to exceed 5 cts. per square 
foot. . . .Floors. — IJ-inch spruce orpine, wedged 
tight and well nailed. The divisions into rooms, 
etc., to be according to the plan. . . .Boors. — All 
1st stoiy doors to be IHn. thick, double faced 
and moulded, and 7 feet high ; 2d story doors, 
single faced and moulded, G feetS iu. high. Fixed 
lights over front and back doors. . . . Windows. — 
2 first story windows with 7-ineh muUions, 
lights 10 by 15, 8 in each half; 3 windows with 
12 lights of the same size each ; 3 second stoiy 
windows with 7-iuch muUions, lights 10.\21, 8 
in each half, and windows of 12 lights each, of 
same size. All Ij inch sashes, counter checked, 
Fig. 5 — COLUMN. 
Fig. 4 — CORNICB. 
hung with cord weights, .and pro- 
vided with sash n^stenings. Glass, 
first quality American. . . .Stairs, to 
have l.J inch siring and steps, i 
inch riser.s, wedged, glued, blocked, and strongly 
back nailed, with a 2i by 3i moulded black 
walnut rail, G inch fancy-turned newel post, and 
li inch fancj'-turned baluster... Trimmings. — 
Parlor and front entry trim- 
med witli 5k inch casing 
" coved out " to the bead ; 
moulding and back band 7 
inches wide; kitchen, bed- 
rooms, etc., with beaded 
casings and back moulding. 
Base 7 inches wide, with 
Grecian ogee moulding. 
Closets, with plain casing 
and base, shelved and fur- 
nished with clothes hooks, 
as owner may direct. Step- 
ladder to scuttle in roof. 
. .. Plastering. — All the rooms and closets plaster- 
ed throughout; parlor and entry receiving a 
good sand " skim." All other rooms, two coats, 
even laid . . . . CItimney carried up from cell.ar, 
with two 8-iuch flues, topping at 20 by 28 inch- 
es, and 3 feet 8 inches aljove the roof. . . .Ilard- 
tcare. — Locks all mortise loclcs ; porcelain knobs 
and key plates, and 3i-inch loose-joint butts to 
first story doors; mineral knobs and 3-ineh 
butts to second story doors. Bolts to outside 
doors. Judd's axles and pulleys, and Japan sash 
fasteners. Five doz. clothes hooks. . .Painting. — 
Two coats white lead .and oil outside and inside." 
Tliese particidarswill be of value and interest 
to many readers, and the technical expressions 
will be easily understood by those at all familiar 
with building terras. The house would be 
made warmer were it lined with brick between 
the lathing and clapboarding. This would add 
considerably to the expense, but more than 
proportionate!}' to comfort. The bricks for fil- 
ling iu may be laid iu a clay or " dirt" mortar. 
Gravel Wall Houses and Barns, Etc. 
Winter is the time when former folks discuss 
building, and we have numerous letters asking 
our opinion of gravel wall and concrete houses. 
The subject is a very important one to all wlio 
build dwelling houses, or erect any masonry 
structures in a country where stones and gravel 
are abundant. At sundry times we have con- 
sulted good masons and house carpenters in 
regard to the value of concrete for house 
walls, and invariably had assertions like the fol- 
lowing most authoritatively made : That tlie 
whole thing was a humbug; that the walls 
would not stand ; that they would absorb mois- 
ture like a sponge, and go all to pieces after a 
severe freezing and thawing ; that, even if they 
stood, the houses would be damp, the walls 
" sweating" on the inside; that they could not 
be built with any regularity or evenness ; that 
they would always look unfinished and patchy 
if indeed, they stood at all, and it was clearly 
proved (if we would accept their premises) that 
