146 
AMERICAS AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
Fig. 1.—FRONT VIEW. 
Country House, Costing $1,600 to $2,000. 
(Cost as Here Shown anti Described, @1,900). 
CLASS II.—FIRST, PRIZE—BT A. C. SWARTZ, GIRARD, KAN. 
The envelope “ motto ” that came with this 
plan was, “Housekeeper’s Delight,” and three 
features Mr. Swartz aimed at will please house¬ 
keepers, viz.—First, to have the Living or Sitting 
Room located near the center, and convenient to 
all other parts of the house ;—Second, to have the 
Kitchen and Dining Room so connected as to save 
steps ;—Third, to have floors of all carpeted rooms 
even yards, at least in one dimension.—Mr. S. ex¬ 
cused his drawings (very good ones by the way), 
on the ground of being ‘ ‘ a practical farmer and 
having to make them at night.” He mentions in¬ 
cidentally that he made the first draft over a year 
ago, and this is the result of a full year’s studying 
and thinking over it—a good way to get up any 
good thing.—The cost as here shown and described 
figures up $1,900. It is evident that by some 
changes and omissions (noted below in part), and 
by cheaper finish at first, the cost may be reduced 
to $1,600, or even to $1,500 where building materials 
are moderate in prioe ; while a few extras, in more 
brackets and other trimmings, outside and inside, 
will easily raise the cost to $2,000 or even more. — 
UNEXCAVAT 
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FIRE 
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DOUBLE JOIST 
CELLAR 
14 'AX 15/2 
Fig. 3.— CELLAR PLAN (REDUCED SCALE). 
In all plans given, our aim is to present those hav¬ 
ing general good features, but with the expectation 
that most house-keepers will wish to make some 
interior changes ; and that competent builders will 
vary the outside ornamentation—often so as to de¬ 
cidedly improve the architectural features.... The 
Fi-ont Elevataosa (fig. 1), and the i^ide 
BBSevstatioir (fig. 2), exhibit a fair looking ex¬ 
terior—better than the average house. The Bay 
Window in front, if made 9 feet wide, instead of 
6, would show better we think, and materially 
enlarge the Sitting Room, allowing two or three 
persons to set their chairs within it for an outlook, 
while the expense would be but a trifle more, main¬ 
ly for wider panes of glass. An architect sug¬ 
gests to us that as there is, or may be, a large 
side window in the Dining Room, the rear 
Bay Window might be omitted, and save its 
expense, unless the number to be accom¬ 
modated at the table makes the elongation 
of the table room space desirable; or unless 
there be some unpleasant object in view from 
the side window, making it desirable to keep 
that window curtained over the lower sash.— 
But we always favor 
all the bay windows 
that can be got into 
a house without in¬ 
juring its general 
appearance, or too 
greatly increasing the 
cost; they furnish 
more light, permit 
looking out in three 
directions, and en¬ 
large the floor space 
proportionally more 
than the square feet 
of floor added. There 
is probably as much room iu this house as would 
be needed by most families, but two large bed¬ 
rooms or store rooms could be secured at 
small cost, by raising the wings—one or both 
—to nearly full bight. As the flooring, roof¬ 
ing, cornices, etc., would be the same, the 
extra cost would he only the floors, ceiling, 
and the walls of the added rooms, and the 
little additional timber and siding. This ap¬ 
plies to all houses. On the prairies and other 
places exposed to hurricanes, it is usually 
thought necessary to 
keep buildings as 
low, and to give them 
as broad a base as 
possible. Mr. Swartz 
writes : “ All outside 
walls to be sheathed 
on the inside of stud¬ 
ding with boards hav¬ 
ing the heavy ship- 
lap (l, fig. 6) and then 
lathed and plaster¬ 
ed.” The outside is 
covered with narrow 
clap-boards (c). For 
cold localities, a lin¬ 
ing under these of 
tarred paper, or roof¬ 
ing paper, will add 
materially to the warmth of the house, and not 
greatly increase the expense. The saving of 
fuel will pay a large interest on the cost of such 
paper, and iu a very few years fully cover it. 
'Flie Basement (fig. 3,—in reduced size). 
This is divided, by a brick wall, into the Cellar in 
front, and a rear room with fire-place, for butchery, 
soap making and other rough work in bad weath¬ 
er. It may he fitted for a laundry or washing-day 
room, but needs more window light if it is to be 
much used.—The cellar room may be ample, but 
the unexcavated space can be made available by a 
little more expense in continuing the foundation 
walls 3 or 4 feet lower and taking out the earth. 
First Story (fig. 4) or Ground Plan. Hight 
9 feet. The arrangements, divisions, 
etc., are plainly shown in the engrav¬ 
ing, with the convenient connecting- 
doors, etc. Mr. Swartz’s description 
reads : “ Closets and Cupboards on 
first floor: No. 1 (in dining room), 
lower part for table linen; upper 
part for table ware not in common 
use.—No. 2, Cook’s kitchen ward¬ 
robe.—No. 3, chiua aud service cup¬ 
board, with scullery below.—No. 4, 
for men’s and boys’ boots and rough 
clothes.—No. 5, bedroom closet, with 
shelves above and hooks under them. 
—No 6, may have drawers below.— Pantrt, furnish¬ 
ed with shelves and flour and meal boxes.— Bath 
on first floor for special family use, with water pipes 
from range aud cistern.”—We think that, as there 
is a bath-room above, this lower one 
may be omitted, unless needed by an 
Fig.6. WALL 
SECTION. 
Fig. 4.— FIRST STORY. 
5.—SECOND STORY.—ROOFING OF FIRST STORY. 
