304 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
A Half-Stone House, Costing $2,000. 
BT S. B. REED, ARCHITECT. 
The design here given represents a substantial 
and convenient house for well-to-do farmers, or 
others,who may find it suited to their circumstances. 
The outside walls of the first story are of stone, 
and for this reason the design will be of special in¬ 
terest to those living where building stone is at 
Fig. 1.— FRONT ELEVATION OF THE 
hand. In point of economy, where stone walls are 
determined upon, there is an obvious advantage in 
this half-stone method. The ratio of cost in all 
masonry increases in proportion to the difficulty in 
elevating and handling such heavy materials above 
a convenient hight_ Elevation (fig. 1).—The 
outside and openings are symmetrically arranged. 
The walls of rough masonry accord entirely with 
the sense of fitness for all rural structures, and they 
may be made very pleasing in appearance by dis¬ 
tributing close clinging vines along their sides, 
which soon grow, and add greatly to the home-like 
aspect. The foundation or cellar walls show 18 
HOUSE. 
inches above the ground, just sufficient to allow 
for windows to supply necessary light and ventila¬ 
tion to the cellar. The principal walls being of 
stone, there is very little outside wood-work to be 
destroyed by dampness from the ground or shrub¬ 
bery. The body of the building may therefore be 
set as low down as desirable for convenience. 
The site, however, should be elevated, for dryness 
and appearance. The earth taken from the cellar 
excavations will he sufficient in most cases to raise 
the grounds one foot immediately surrounding the 
house... .Cellar (fig. 2).—The hight is 61 feet. 
It has suitable windows for light and ventilation, 
and at the same time 
is sufficiently below 
ground to be warm in 
winter and cool in sum¬ 
mer. An outside en¬ 
trance is placed under 
one end of the rear 
veranda. The Chim¬ 
neys are centrally loca¬ 
ted, and have openings 
in them for ventilators 
leading through con¬ 
tinuous flues to the top. 
Stairs are arranged lead¬ 
ing tothe kitchen above. 
..First Story 
(fig. 3).—Hight of ceil¬ 
ing, 10 feet. A hall, 
three rooms, pantry, 
rear entry, and closet 
form the general divi¬ 
sions of this story. 
There are three outside 
entrances, one in front 
and two in the rear. 
The Main Hall is of 
convenient shape and 
size, and is entered from 
the front porch; it con¬ 
nects with each of the 
principal rooms, and 
contains the main stairs. 
The Parlor is octagonal 
in form, with open¬ 
ings symmetrically arranged, and with windows 
disposed to the best advantage for outlooks and 
views. The two sides are unbroken, giving space 
for wall furniture. The Dining-room is of fair 
dimensions, and is accessible from the outside 
through the front hall and rear entry ; it is in con¬ 
venient connection with the parlor and pantry, and 
has windows in front and on one side. The Kitchen 
i6 conveniently arranged, has an open fire-place 
suitable for a range, with a large double window 
opposite; it connects through doors with the main 
hall, pantry, cellar stairs, and rear veranda, and 
contains a pump, sink, and three wash-tubs. The 
Pantry is full size, has an outside window, and 
is thoroughly shelved. The fear entry is designed 
as a private entrance, and has cleats and hooks for 
overcoats, etc. The chimneys are located where 
the warmth will be saved to the interior, and greats 
ly lessen the quantity ©f fuel required to keep the 
house warm in cold weather.... Second Story 
(fig. 4).—Hight of ceilings, 8 feet. There are a 
hall, four chambers, a bed-room, and four elosets. 
It will be seen that there is no waste room. The 
stair-landing or hall is in the center, and though 
occupying but little space, has five doors leading 
to the several apartments, besides one door open¬ 
ing to the garret 6tairs. Each of the rooms is of 
fair dimensions, and has abundant window open¬ 
ings. The head-room for the main stairs is partial¬ 
ly taken from the’bed-room floor, forming an angle, 
with clear head-room from the ceiling below to the 
face of the partition seen to cross the stairs.—This 
angled portion is “ squared up,” forming a shelf in 
the bed-room.... Attic.—The plates show 2 feet, 
and the center 11 feet above the floor. The whole 
is floored over roughly for storage, etc.... Con- 
strnction.— The cellar and first story walls are 
of broken stone laid in best mortar, in the cellar 
18 inches thick, and in the first story 16 inches. 
All sills and lintels are of blue stone. The frame 
is of sawed timber of sizes indicated in the estimate. 
The siding for the upper portion is clap-boards, laid 
on sheathing boards of even thickness. The roofs 
are of shingles laid on spruce lath. The inside 
flooring is of 8-inch spruce tongue-and-grooved; 
outside of 44 inch pine. The cellar windows have 
three lights each, and are hung with butts ; all 
*■ other windows four lights, hung to balance weights 
with best cord. All doors are of pine, panelled 
and molded. Plumbing as described in American 
n ■ n 
Fig. 3. —PLAN OF FIRST STORY. 
Agriculturist for March, 1880, page 93. Plastering 
three-coat work. Painting two coats_Esti¬ 
mate,—Cost of materials and labor : 
115 yds. Excavation, at 25c. per yd. . S 28 75 
184 perches Stone-work (complete), $2.75 per perch. 868 50 
130 feet Blue Stone (sills, lintels, and area steps), 
at 12c. per foot. 15 60 
5,000 Brick in chimneys (complete), at $12 per M. 60 00 
C60yds. Plastering (openings out) (complete), at 
25c. per yd... 165 00 
6,000 feet Timber, as follows, at $15 per M. 90 00 
1 Girder 4x8 in. 38 ft. long. 14 Beams 3x8 in. 18 ft. long, 
17 Beams 8 x 8 in. 15 ft. long. 14 Beams 3x8 in. 14 ft. long. 
12 Beams 3x8 in. 17 ft. long. 8 Beams 3x7 in. 16 ft. long. 
13 Beams 3x8 in. 13 ft. long. 14 Beams 3x7 in. 18 ft. long. 
Sills 3x8 in. 140 ft. long. 14 Beams 3x7 in. 14 ft, long. 
11 Posts 4x7 in. 10 ft. long. 2 Valleys 3x7 in. 14 ft. long. 
2 Ties 4x6 in. 9 ft. long. 36 Rafters 3x5 in. 18 ft. long. 
Ties 4x6 in. 27 ft. long. IS Rafters 8x4 in. 11 ft, long. 
Ties 4x6 in. 16 ft. long. 1 Ridge 3x8 in. 35 ft. locg. 
1 Plate 4x8 in. 32 ft. long. 1 Ridge 3x7 in. 18 ft. long. 
4 Plates 4x8 in. 9 ft. long. 1 Veranda 3x7 in. 66 ft. lon». 
16 Beams 3x8 in. 16 ft. long. 
75 Joists, at 15c. each... 11 25 
200 Wall Strips, at 12 c. each.. 24 00 
150 Sheathing, 9% in. (body of 2d story), at 25c. each. 87 f0 
260 Siding ( 6 -inch Clap-boards), at 12c. each. 31 20 
32 wide Ceiling for Gables, at 28c. each. 8 96 
Cornice materials. 35 00 
350 Shingling Lath, at 6 c. each. 21 00 
57 bunches Shingles, at $1.25 per bunch... 71 25 
200 feet Tin, Valleys, Gutters, and Leaders, at 8 c. ft. 16 00 
54 feet 4-mch Flooring (for outside), at 25c. each... 13 50 
345 feet 8 -inch Flooring (for inside), at 28c. each_ 96 60 
9 Cellar Windows (complete), at $3 each.. 27 00 
Fig. 4.—FLAN OF SECOND STORY. 
24 Plain Windows (complete), at $8 each.. 192 00 
22 Doors (complete), at $8 each. 176 00 
Porch and Veranda icomplete)...... SO (» 
Stairs (complete), $40; Mantels (complete) $40.. 80 00 
Closet finish (complete).. —.. 
Plumbing (complete, $50; Carting, $15. 66 00 
Painting (complete). 
150 Furring Strips 1x2x12,at4c. each.................. 6 00 
Carpenter’s labor, $120.00; incidentals, $94.89.. .. 214 89 
Total.$2,000 OO 
