318 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[August, 
Fig. 1.— FRONT ELEVATION. 
Country House, Costing $2,700 to $3,200. 
Built as here Describetl, by day’s work, @3,100. 
CLASS III.— 2nd PRIZE.—BY EDW. PRATT, HANOVER, MICH. 
The full engravings showing two elevations and 
the minutiae of the floor plans, together with the 
detailed specifications, leave little to he added. 
There would seem to be an unnecessary amount of 
floor room devoted to halls, especially in the Sec¬ 
ond Story. By changing the position of the beds 
in the two front chambers, and placing their en¬ 
trance doors at the interior corners, a bedroom or 
sewing room, 7 by 10 feet, could be made of the 
front end of the hall. Half glass doors would be 
needed to admit light to the hall. Over one-third 
of the rear division is also in the hall.—The cost of 
the house will vary from $2,750 to $3,200 or more, 
according to the locality, price of timber and lum¬ 
ber, cost of labor, etc.—The following is the sub¬ 
stance of Mr. Pratt’s specifications, which may be 
used as the basis of a contract. The table gives in 
detail the materials. Where the stone specified is 
not available, brick will need to be substituted. 
Carpenter Work. —Frame: Main build¬ 
ing to be full frame, well braced and pinned, and 
secured by bolts where necessary. For sizes, etc., 
see bill below. Studding and floor joists, 16 inches 
from centers. Rafters 24 inches from centers. Joists 
well bridged. Purline frame in roof. All to be 
done in the best manner. Rear extension, “ balloon 
frame.” Hight of 1st story, ipain building, 101 ft. 
betweeu timbers ; 2d story, 91 feet; rear building, 
1st story, 9 feet: 2nd, 81 feet_ Boarding —Frame 
lined on the inside with mill-worked boards, cov¬ 
ered with tarred felt paper, and furred off with lath 
placed 16 inches from centers. Outside covered 
with good quality 4-inch clapboards. Cornices, pi¬ 
azzas, and all outside work to conform with the ele¬ 
vations, and to be fully completed. Roof boarded 
and covered with best 18-inch shingles, laid 5 inches 
to weather. Provide suitable gutters, leaders, etc. 
_Floors. —Piazza floors of narrow pine ; kitchen 
and pantry, ash ; other floors good common 6-inch 
flooring_ Windows. —For sizes see bill. All the 
principal windows to be hung with weights and pul¬ 
leys ; cellar windows with butts ; all to have suita¬ 
ble fastenings... .Blinds to be well hung and 
trimmed. Inside blinds on bay windows... .Doors 
—For sizes see bill. All to be well fitted and hung; 
provide all necessary locks and bolts, with bronze 
trimmings on front and hall doors; other doors 
white porcelain. Outside and inside cellar doors to 
be suitably hung and trimmed... .Casings to be 
6 inches wide in the principal rooms ; 5-inch in rear 
rooms and chambers, with moulded edge, and suit¬ 
able band mould base, and base mould plinth 
blocks. Do all that may be necessary to make a 
good and suitable finish. Kitchen to be wainscoted 
3 feet high- Stairway—'T o be located as shown, 
of easy rise and tread, well finished, with walnut 
Newel, balusters and rail. Stairs in rear and to cel¬ 
lar and attic as shown Pantry —To be finished 
with shelving, cupboards, flour and meal chests, 
drawers, etc. One cellar to be finished for a milk- 
room. Put bell-pull at front door ; bell in kitchen. 
15a«li-room.— To be provided with bath-tub 
and wash-basin with waste pipes. A cast-iron sink 
and pump to be placed in the kitchen, with cup¬ 
board under, and have large waste pipe and drain. 
Mason Work.- Cellar— To. be excavated 
as shown on the plan and trenches dug below frost. 
Cistern dug and dirt levelled. Walls and founda¬ 
tions to be of cobble stone of large size, properly 
faced, and laid in lime and sand mortar. The stone 
in foundations above the grade to be blocked, 
laid in courses and tuck pointed. All joints in 
the cellar to be pointed.... Cistern as shown on 
plan, 7 feet deep, thoroughly plastered with wa¬ 
ter-lime, and lathed and plastered on the bottom of 
the floor timbers overhead with water-lime mortar. 
Opening for entrance and ventilation as shown. 
Good inlet and overflow pipes and drain to be pro¬ 
vided_ Chimneys, as shown, well laid and plas¬ 
tered smooth inside, and provided with all neces¬ 
sary openings Plastering —First and second 
stories to be lathed and plastered two coats of 
brown mortar and hard finished. Plain Cornice in 
Parlor and Sitting-room ; suitable Center Pieces. 
Marble Mantels with brackets on chimneys in 
Parlor, Sitting-room, Dining-room, and Bed-room. 
Furnace. —To be placed as shown on plan, 
with heater pipes and registers. Large heater pipe 
and register in hallway to warm upper rooms. 
Painting'.—Paint entire building three coats 
best paints ; colors to suit. Grain Parlor, Hall, 
Sitting-room Kitchen, Bed-room and Pantry. 
Estimate of Materials, Work, Etc. 
2 Sills, 6x8 in., 40 ft. long. 
4 Sills, 6x8 in., 30 ft. long. 
2 Sills. 6x8 in., 26 ft. long. 
2 Sills, 6x8 in., 16 ft. long. 
3 Sills, 6x8 in., 20 ft. long. 
1 Sill, 6x8 in., 24 ft. long. 
1 Sill, 6x6 in., 22 ft. long. 
1 Sill, 6x6 in., 16 ft. long. 
1 Sill, 6x6 in., 12 ft. long. 
8 Posts, 4x8 in., 22 ft. long. 
8 Beams, 6x8 in., 30 ft. long. 
2 Plates, 6x8 in., 40 ft. long. 
2 Purline Plates, 6xGin.x40ft. 
5 Purline Posts, 6x6 in.x9 ft. 
Total of the above 17,996 feet, 
4 Purline Beams,6x8 in.xl6ft. 
The 40 feet Sills and Plates, 
if not obtainable, may be 
made by splicing 20 feet by 
22 feet pieces together. 
200 Joist, 2x8 in., 10 ft. long. 
40 Joist, 2x6 in., 24 ft. long. 
40 Joist, 2x6 in., 16 ft. long. 
80 Joist, 2x4 in., 22 ft. long. 
200 Joist, 2x4 in., 20 ft. long. 
150 Joist, 2x4 in., 18 ft. long. 
100 Joist, 2x4 in., 16 It. long. 
100 Joist, 2x4 in., 12 ft. long. 
25 Joist, 4x4 in., 20 ft. long, 
at $14.00 per 1,000 feet..$ 251.93 
8,000 ft. Mill-dressed Pooling and Sheathing, at $12.. 96.00 
5,000 feet 4-inch Siding, at $18.00 per thousand feet.. 90.00 
23,000 Shingles, 18-inch, at $3.50 per thousand. 80.50 
