AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[June, 
238 
Fig. 1.— FRONT ELEVATION. 
Country House, Costing $600 to $800. 
(Cost as here Described, $700.) 
CLASS I.—SECOND PRIZE.—BY A. C. SWARTZ, GIRARD, KAN. 
The envelope “ Motto ” that designated this plan 
was : “ Poor Man’s Dwelling.” Mr. Swartz, who 
claims to be a “ practical farmer,” took the first 
prize in the second class, for a dwelling costing 
$1,900, which was described in the American Agri¬ 
culturist for April last.—The estimates for this 
house, as given below, make the complete cost just 
$700. To the elevation plans, as received, we have 
added some ornamentation, such as laying part of 
the shingles out of the uniform plain courses ; put¬ 
ting the perpendicular pieces with rounded ends 
upon the cornices, and a few extra moldings and 
trimmings. The additional cost of all these will 
not exceed $30, or at most $35, but they very 
greatly increase the beauty of the architectural ap¬ 
pearance, we think.—It is an almost universal 
Fig. 3.—CELLAR OR BASEMENT. 
fault with at least nine-tenths of all our present 
country houses, that they have the plainest possi¬ 
ble outlines, and no effort is made to give variety, 
which can be done at very trifling cost. Simply 
using a few feet more of lumber to enlarge the 
size of the outside caps and casings of the win¬ 
dows, would materially improve the looks of a 
great many plain houses. A neat, tasteful dwell¬ 
ing can be constructed at about the same expense 
as one without any character of its own. Twenty- 
five to fifty dollars extra on the house itself, with 
as much more on the surroundings—the grounds 
and fences—may be so expended as to raise the 
salable value of a farm many hundreds of dol¬ 
lars. It is important, however, to avoid putting on 
finical, fanciful ornamentation which is without any 
special design or harmony, and often offensive to 
the eye.—The Judges, in selecting this plan for the 
second prize, on account of the general conven¬ 
ience of the internal arrangements and other fea¬ 
tures, appended to their award the following criti¬ 
cism, which is an important one : “ A house of this 
cost—indeed, every house—Should have some kind 
of an entry hall, to break the force of winds, and 
not allow them to directly penetrate the living 
room whenever the outside door is opened.”—The 
engravings showing the front and side elevations 
and the cellar, and first and second story floor 
plans, together with the detailed account of the 
timber and lumber required, give sufficiently full 
information to the ordinary builder or carpenter 
to enable him to construct the whole house, and 
we need not give much space to a minute descrip¬ 
tion.—The Elevations, (figs. 1 and 2,) show 
that little expense is needed for outside ornaments, 
as the aim is to adapt the cost to those having very 
moderate means. Every one constructing a house 
on this general plan will, of course, with the aid of 
the carpenter, make any desired modifications in 
the simple parts that constitute the chief orna¬ 
mentation. In this, as in all other country house 
plans, we recommend the addition of a covered 
Veranda along one side, if not on two sides, when¬ 
ever the small additional expense can possibly be 
afforded.—The outside covering is of inch boards, 
put on horizontally, planed outside. The jointing 
is not specified. We suppose it to be the “ Nov¬ 
elty Siding ” (fig. 6). The estimates provide for no 
sheathing under the boarding, of tarred or roofing 
paper. This should never be omitted, and the 
cost for a house of this size is only a few’ dollars. 
Uascmcnt, ox* Cellar (fig. 3).—A part of 
this is left unexcavated. This can be done at any 
subsequent time, but the old advice given by a 
farmer to his sous, “ Always make your cellar as 
large as your house,” is useful. The cellar room 
here provided may be ample on a new farm, where 
only grain and grass will be grown at first, but 
plenty of cellar room is always handy. A dry cel¬ 
lar under a house conduces to healthfulness. It is 
always best to place the first floor 2, 3, or 4 feet 
above the general ground surface, and use the cel¬ 
lar earth, and more if needed, to bank up against 
the walls in very cold localities, and always to 
have the ground graded downward from the house 
outward, so as to quickly convey falling rain away. 
If the cellar walls are warm enough to keep out 
frost, it is better to have them extend at least two 
feet above the graded earth, that windows may ad¬ 
mit light to the cellar. If necessary, a tempora¬ 
ry banking-up against the walls in winter, may 
be provided in autumn and be removed in spring. 
Eirst Story (fig. 4).—Hight, 81 feet. The 
plan is considered a convenient one. Mr. Swartz 
writes: “ ....If a fire is desired in the first story 
bed-room, let the Entrance and the window at its 
left change places; change the position of the 
door to the bed-room, and move the chimney over 
to the wall separating the sitting-room and bed¬ 
room, with a fire-place or stove-pipe en¬ 
trance on each side.”_“The entrance 
from the bed-room to the stairway can be 
omitted, but is very convenient, especial¬ 
ly in case of sickness....” [It will be 
noticed that the three doors at the foot 
of the stairs afford a private passage¬ 
way from any one loom to another, and 
also from any room to the chamber.] 
“.. .TheKitchen Closet can be arranged 
as a bath-room, if desired..:.” This 
closet can be spared, as there is a fair- Fip g 
sized Pantry; but a part at least of the novelty 
Sitting Room Closet vvould be required SIUING - 
to make the batli-rpom large enough, unless it ex¬ 
tended a little into the corner of the Kitchen.— 
The specifications and the estimates of cost call 
for three-coat plastering of the first story rooms. 
Secoml Story (fig. 5).—The hight of the 
rooms along the outside walls is 41 feet. “ The 
partition walls are board or plank, and the rooms 
are ceiled throughout_” There are four bed¬ 
rooms, with a large space around the stairs for- 
Fig. 5.— SECOND STORY. 
storage, which may be utilized for a temporary 
bed on extra occasions, as when there may be addi¬ 
tional help employed at harvest time. The smaller 
front room can not be warmed. If the change of 
chimney, noted above, be made to heat the lower 
bed-room, this upper room and the larger front one 
