1876.] 
209 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
A House Costing $2,900. 
BY 9. B. REED, ARCHITECT, CORONA, LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 
This plan of a suburban, or a country house, has 
all the advantages of the square form—providing 
convenient, commodious interior apartments, and 
has a simple, expressive outside dress, that com¬ 
pares favorably with more pretentious, expensive 
dwellings_Exterior, (fig. 1.)—The outlines 
of the main building are rounded and compact, in¬ 
dicating completeness and solidity. The front tow¬ 
er-like projection is a central and distinctive fea¬ 
ture, around which the other parts are symmetri¬ 
cally balanced. The Porch, and roofed balconies 
are simple and neat. The main roof, a new modifi¬ 
cation of the “Mansard roof,” is a conspicuous 
part, giving an expression of strength and unity to 
the design. The main cornice has full projections, 
with neat solid trusses, and is separated into sec¬ 
tions by the chamber windows, giving relief from 
the monotony and depressing effects usual in all con¬ 
tinuous horizontal lines. All the Second story win¬ 
dows of the main building, have projecting hoods, 
appropriately interlaced with the principal roof 
work, securing pleasant shadows to those parts, and 
imparting a marked finish and variety. The Dormer 
Windows are triangular, and are placed immediately 
above those of the lower stories, prolonging the ver¬ 
tical lines of openings, to which they form a fitting 
termination- First Story, (fig. 3.)—Hightof 
ceiling 10 feet. The usual front hall is dispensed 
with, and the stairway is placed where it is more 
convenient, and accessible, and is not a conductor 
of cold drafts through the house. Many think it 
necessary to have stairways share with the parlors 
the most valuable and conspicuous position ; they 
should more frequently be placed in some subordi¬ 
nate relation, without seeming to control 
the general arrangement. The Entrance 
from the front porch is through double 
doors to the vestibule, and thence to either 
the parlor or family-room. Side doors 
lead to the pleasant and shady front bal¬ 
conies. The Parlor and Family-room are 
of equal size, and may be used as one 
spacious apartment, by opening the sliding 
doors. The Dining-room is pleasantly 
situated, and opens into the family-room, 
rear entrance, and hall-way. It has one 
large bay window, and two plain ones, an 
open fire-place, and a dish or china closet, 
c. The Kitchen is isolated, relieving other 
rooms of its noise and odors, is convenient 
to the dining-room, cellar stairway, and 
rear entrance, through the rear lobby, and 
has an open fire-place, closet, and large 
pantry, range, boiler, sink, wash-tubs, and 
the necessary pipes for water. The Hall 
is central, accessible from the parlor, din¬ 
ing-room, and rear entrance, and is thor¬ 
oughly lighted and ventilated by the win¬ 
dow at the head of the stairs.... SecoMsi 
fijoa-y, (fig. 4.)—Eight of ceiling 8 feet. 
This story contains a hall, four good sized 
chambers, with closets, and two windows 
to each. The Bath-room has bath-tub 
and seat. A Conservatory connects 
through sash doors, with the two front cham¬ 
bers... .Attic, (fig. 5.)—Flight of ceiling 8 feet. 
Fig. 5.— ATTIC. 
The Stairs to this are placed immediately above 
those to the second story, are ceiled in, with 
a door at the bottom. The rear portion is finished 
on a line with the two chimneys, into two bed¬ 
rooms and hall. The front portion is floored, but 
otherwise left unfinished as an open garret, valua¬ 
ble as a play-room for the children, a clothes dry¬ 
ing room, and many other purposes- Con. 
strnction. —The Foundation of hard brick, aud 
good mortar, is shown by the Cellar plan, (fig. 2.)— 
It shows four feet above the grade in front, and if 
desirable, may show one half that hight in the rear. 
There is usually sufficient earth taken from the cel¬ 
lar excavations to give such desirable grade as shall 
turn off all water from the immediate grounds and 
walks. The Chimneys are also of hard brick, are 
independent of the foundations, and are carried up 
perfectly plumb to the roof, where they are finish¬ 
ed with neat bases and caps. The central position 
of these chimneys is proof against cold air open¬ 
ings at their sides, and insures saving the heat radi¬ 
ated from them. It is impossible to prevent cracks 
from appearing along the sides of chimneys in 
frame buildings, and when these cracks communi¬ 
cate directly with the outside covering, they often 
admit much cold air.—The principal Frame is 20 ft. 
high, substantially constructed, as indicated by the 
upright section, (fig. 6.) The main plates arc in 
Fig. 1.— FRONT ELEVATION. 
line with the beams of the attic story, and the roof 
purlines are 8 feet above them. The side rafters 
are 12 feet long, fitted aud spiked to the purlines 
and plates, with their lower ends extending 21 feet 
down from the latter, in a continuous line. Rough 
brackets connecting the rafters with the upright 
frame work, forming the 
foundations or frame of 
the principal cornice. By 
this method of extend¬ 
ing the rafters downward 
instead of upward, the 
desirable hight and pro¬ 
portion of roof are obtain¬ 
ed. The exposed sur¬ 
faces that require siding 
are reduced from the 
usual hight of 221 feet, 
to 16 feet, and the cornices 
are more substantial and 
less complex. The siding, 
roof-boarding, slating,and 
trimming are done in the 
usual manner. The Gut¬ 
ters are laid in with the 
slate as described in May 
American Agriculturist, 
1875. The Hoods and 
Dormer Windows have 
slate coverings, interlaced 
with the principal roof, 
with joinings and flashings 
of sheet lead. The following estimate provides for 
the thorough completion of the building in an ap¬ 
propriate and substantial manner. ISsitimate : 
Fig. 6.—SECTION. 
82 yards Excavation, © 20c. per yard.$ lfi.40 
1(5,000 Brick furnished and laid @ $12 P 1,00). 102.W) 
44 feet Stone Steps, Coping, etc., © 30 c. per It. 1320 
730 yards Plastering, © S5c. per yard. . .. 262.50 
