212 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
June, 
livened by the numerous window and door openings, 
the several projections of piazza, dormers, and 
cornices, and the variety of the materials used. 
The dressing of the several parts are of simple de¬ 
signs. The projections of cornices, etc., should 
always be self-sustaining, yet while this is true 
Fig. 1.— ELEVATION OF FBONT OF HOUSE. 
there is sure to be a fancied necessity for some ap¬ 
parent support obvious from the outside. Such 
supports require special treatment, with a view to 
their proper form and proportion, and should be 
sparingly applied, giving to each one its distinct 
place and purpose. Brackets of neat pattern are 
often crowded so closely together as to cheapen and 
destroy their beauty, and overload the cornice, thus 
reversing their legitimate purpose as supports.... 
Cellar, (fig. 2.)—Hight of ceiling 7 feet; it ex¬ 
tends under the main house only. Its hight above 
Fig. 2.— PLAN OF CELLAR. 
the ground gives an opportunity fop good sized 
window openings. If desired at any time, an airy 
ftijd light work room or Ifjpdry oaq fee made, fey 
dividing and flooring a part of this story at little 
cost... .First Story, (fig. 3.) —Hight of ceiling 
10 feet. It has a hall running the whole length of 
the main house, with entrances from both front and 
rear. The parlor, dining-room, and kitchen, are all 
good sized apartments, and pleasantly arranged. 
Double folding doors are provided for the front 
entrances and from the hail to the parlor, and slid¬ 
ing doors between the parlor and dining-room. A 
bay window adds materially to the room and pleas¬ 
antness of the dining or living-room. Each room 
has an open fire place ; the kitchen has a pump and 
sink, with the usual supply and waste-pipe con¬ 
nections. The rear stoop is roofed, and has a port¬ 
able enclosure of light ceiling boards, to be used in 
severe weather.... Second Story, (fig. 4.)— 
Hight of ceiling 81 feet. The divisions of this story 
are simple—giving a hall, two large chambers, with 
passage between, two hall rooms, and two closets. 
- Construction. —The estimate below pro¬ 
vides for foundation of broken stone, laid and neatly 
pointed with good mortar; the stone exposed to 
sight on the outside to be “semi-dressed.” Blue- 
stone or other suitable stone obtained most readily, 
are used for the sills of cellar windows, for the 
steps, and for coping of the cellar entrance. The 
principal timber is of seasoned spruce or pine, 
thoroughly framed, raised, and secured. The 
“framing-in” of braces is too frequently omitted 
-—cutting them “ barefoot,” and spiking, being 
substituted. The latter does very well where the 
frame is strongly sheathed over, and the outer sid¬ 
ing applied afterwards. The sheathing aids largely 
in stiffening the frame, but should not be relied on 
to the exclusion of the necessary braces to square 
up the frame, and prevent the swaying which often 
happens unobserved, to be discovered when too 
late to remedy it. Laxity in the matter of bracing 
has lead to frequent errors as to their proper place 
in the frame. When framed in they are invariably 
placed in the upper angles under the ties and plates, 
adjoining the posts, and when barefoot they should 
be put in the same angles ; never, as is frequently 
done for convenience, in the lower angles, nor on 
the sills. A moment’s reflection will convince any 
one that if the right angles along the pyrincipal frame 
are rigidly maintained , displacements wiU never occur, 
except, as rarely happens, the whole is bodily rais¬ 
ed from the foundation by a hurricane. The most 
reliable angles are those formed by the tie and post 
connections, because at these points the posts are 
tenoned and mortised together, and secured with 
hard wood pins. Those least reliable are at the 
foot of the posts, adjoining the sills, where their 
connections are secured only by the weight of the 
upper frame. Braces placed in the latter angles 
serve only as f ulcrums to endanger the frames when 
tested by ordinary winds; but if the former or 
upper angles are made positive, by having sub¬ 
stantial braces in them, the severest gales may be 
defied. The siding is of narrow, clear pine clap¬ 
boards, laid on “ thieknessed ” sheathing. The 
Mansard part of the maiu roof is covered with 
8x16 inch slate—the piazza, bay window, kitchen, 
stoop, cornices, window, and deck roof with I. C. 
charcoal tin—all laid on hemlock boards. Tarred 
felting is spread under all siding, and slate. The 
first and second stories are fully completed inside ; 
the attic is floored, but otherwise unfinished, but 
may be divided at any time into rooms as shown 
for the second story (fig. 4.) The interior plaster¬ 
ing is three-coat work, on seasoned lath. AH sash 
are four lights and hung to balance weights. Blinds 
are properly hung (outside) to each window. All 
wood, tin, and brick work, usually painted, has two 
coats of best lead and oil paint, with stainers to 
suit the owner’s taste. The choice of colors for 
the exterior is frequently canvassed during the con¬ 
struction of these buildings ; often some person of 
taxte (?) decides by “ warming ’’—adding red and 
yellow, until, by the preponderance of these stain¬ 
ers, the most sombre and dismal colors are produced. 
The most appropriate and pleasing shade for the 
body of this class of house, is a light gray; for the 
trimmings, dark gray; for the sash, burnt sienna; 
for the blinds, green. The tin roofing should match 
the slgte in color. Ked colors should be sparingly 
peed, pr omitted altogether. 
Fstimate of materials required—and total cost: 
50 yards excavation at 25 cents per yard.$12.50 
9:5 l'eet of stone-foundation, at 8c. per foot. 58.00 
45 ft. blue-stone sills, stens and coping, at 30c. per ft. 13.50 
4000 bricks, furnished and laid', at $12 per M. 48.08 
480 yards plastering, at 30 cents per yard... 144.00 
.Cornices and centers, stucco... 30.00 
4000 feet of timber, at $17>4 per M. 70.00 
2 sills, 4x8 in. 29 feet long 
2 sills, 4x8 in. 21 feet long. 
1 sill, 4x8 in. 16 feet long. ■ 
2 sills, 4x8 in. 13 feet long. 
1 girt, 4x8 in. 29 feet long. 
6 posts, 4x7 in. 22 feet long. 
6 ties, 4x6 in. 29 feet long. 
6 ties. 4x6 in. 21,feet long. 
2 plates, 4x6 in. 13 feet long. 
1 plate, 4x6 in. 16 feet long. 
2 posts, 4x6 in. 13 feet long. 
30 beams, 3x8 in. 21 feet long. 
15 beams. 3x7 in. 21 fept long. 
7 beams, 3x8 in. 16 feet long, 
2 decks, 3xK in. 18 feet long. 
2 decks. 3x8 in. 26 feet long. 
1 cross tie, 3xS in. IS feet long. 
4 hips, 3x7 in. 14 feet long. 
2 piazzas, 3x7 in. 19 feet long. 
2 piazzas, 3x7 in. 18 feet long. 
210 hemlock boards, at 12 cents eacl 
cornice materials. 
216 sheathing, at 16 cents each. 
560 pine siding, at 12 cents each. 
8 squares slate at $S>4 per square. 
13squares tin at $714 per square... 
65 feet leaders at 10 cents per foot. 
260 flooring, at 18 cents each. 
25.20 
60.00 
31.40 
67.20 
68.00 
97.50 
6.50 
46.80 
Piazza, and stoop, complete, $80 and $28. 
4 cellar windows, complete, at $4 each— 
5 plain windows, complete, at $12 each. 
6 plain windows, complete, at $10 each_ 
1 nay window....■ . 
5 dormer windows, complete, tit $16 each. 
13 doors, comnlete. a: $10 each... 
1 area door $5; stairs, $90. 
Closets, pump.and sink. 
Mantles, $52.00....Tarred Felting $10.00. 
Carpenter's labor, not included above. 
Carting, average 1 mile. 
Painting, $130.00; Incidentals, $141.40.., 
Total Cq§ti complete,...,. 
... 108.00 
... . 6.00 
... 60.00 
... 00.U& 
... 6000 
... 80.00 
... 130.00 
. 95.00 
... 50.00 
02.00 
,,, 110.00 
.,, 45.00 
'... 271.40 
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