'CULTURE^ 
EXCELSIOR 
NEW YORK CITY AND ROCHESTER N. Y, 
j *1 Pnrlt How, New York 
? | H'i llufTalo SI., RochfHti'r. 
) $3.00 PER YEAR. 
5 )" Single No., Eight Cents. 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JAN, % 1800 
the angular spaces between the rooms. 
These spaces also form spacious and eflectivo 
ventilating shafts, all of which open to Ihe 
eoek-loft, which is ventilated into the chim¬ 
ney under the roof. The smoke pipe from 
the cooking range in the basement kitchen, 
extends to the top of the chimney, heating 
it and making it a powerful ventilating 
shaft, by which the kitchen and all the 
water-closets are .so thoroughly ventilated, 
that it will not he known that, these indi.-i 
pensable features, so offensive, are in the 
building. In Hie area, under Ike veranda, 
and adjoining the fuel room, is a swimming 
bath, 11 feet by 2o feet, with spacious, well 
lighted, and ventilated dressing rooms ad¬ 
joining. The means of supply of water 
will depend on local circumstances. 
In the butler’s pantry is a sink with hot 
and cold water, a dumb waiter in which all 
articles to be refrigerated are placed, ami 
may lie precipitated to the level of the hot 
torn of the ice pit, under tin' laundry, and 
drawn hack again to live pantry at, pleasure, 
thus avoiding the necessity of any other re¬ 
frigerator, or of taking any ice out of the 
pit, for that purpose. 
There is also another dumb-waiter, con¬ 
necting the kitchen with the butler’s panfry. 
The veranda surrounding the entire build¬ 
ing is a feature of extraordinary luxury and 
convenience, which will be rnadilv aud fully 
appreciated by all persons of taste. 
There is a Due roomy carriage porch, 
paved with flags; it is to have a chandelier 
suspended from the centre of its ceiling, 
lighting it, the veranda half way around 
the building, the parlor, the billiard room, 
and the main hall, without having the lamps 
or gas-burners in the apartments, by which 
arrangement, insects and vermin, so annoy 
ing of a summer evening, will be effectually 
kept out of the building, while it will he 
pleasantly lighted. 
As many persons enjoy much the cheerful 
appearance of a Are, even though the apart¬ 
ment, may be well heated, t here is provision 
for an open tire in the dining-room. 
There are large balconies over the veran¬ 
da, both in front, and rear of the building, 
only one of which can Im shown in a, front 
elevation. There is also a fine balcony all 
around the lantern, or cupola. This is 
reached by steps from the rear balcony, and 
constitutes a fine prospect tower, command¬ 
ing a view in every direction. 
Considering the above description snfli- 
dentin detail to make the plan intelligible 
to those who take sufficient interest, in it lo 
study it, it is respectfully submitted to the 
readers of the Rural New-Yorker with 
the respects of the architect. 
ESTEEKn. liccotdinj! to Act of Cooicrt-ts, in the year 1868 , by D. I>. 
T. Mocvkk, in the Clf-rk’# Offico of the District Court of the 
United States for the Southern District of New York. 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER, 
D. X>. T. IYXOORE, 
Proprietor hiuI Conducting Editor. 
CHAS. D. BRAGDON, G. F. WILCOX, A. A. HOPKINS, 
Associate Editors. 
HENRY S. RANDALL, LL. D., 
Editor or no: Di-i-ubtwicnt ok Sukkp Hcsbandrv. 
X. A. WILLARD, 
Editor op tub Dkpartmrnt ok Dairy Husbandry. 
DANIEL LEE, M. D., 
Op Ti'nm, IK, SortiiMiN CoKf&KNmNDiMfr Editor. 
Special Contributors 
P. BA DRV, 
It. T. BROOKS, 
.1. ft. DllDi}E, 
F. K. KI/T.IOTT, 
. 1 . V. OUISCOM, M. D 
a. : ' \NTUN COtJl.n, 
• NOW AND Tii UN," 
T. C. PETEItS, 
CHAS. V. HI LEY, 
K. W. STEWART, 
JAMES VICK, 
,T. WILKINSON, 
MBS. K. P. KLLGT, 
M A BY A. K. WAOKR, 
a ins .ToruxAi, Is designed to he linsiirpiiAied in 
Value, Furltysmd Variety of Contents. Iks Conduct¬ 
or.; earnestly labor In rrtnlcr it Reliable A nthorlty on 
the important Practleul mid Scion title .Subjects eon- 
tv ted with tlie busdiif of those whose interests it 
H'U'nrnt - The at in Is to nrnlto It eminently Instruct¬ 
ive, I sefulund Entertaliiingas.l FAMILY.lOCItxA!,, 
by adapting it to the wants and tastes of all people 
of intelligence and ivlinement, It otnbrnees more 
Agri' iiltiirnl, Horticultural. Scienttfle, EcHo-it i.nil. 
j.ii.erory. News arid e'ommomal Mu tier, with appro¬ 
priate IHust rations, tlian any oilier journal, render¬ 
ing it by fur the moat, eompletc Rural, I .itkkArv, 
Family and Business newspaper in the World. 
PUBLICATION OPFICES! 
New York No. A1 Park Row, Opposile City Hall 
Rocitestcr No. 82 Buffalo St., Opposite City Hall 
CIRCULAR MANSION — FRONT ELEVATION. 
Thus it will ho Seen that a full supply of 
light is secured in the basement apartments. 
A paved area under the veranda surrounds 
the building; it is (5 inches below the floor 
of the basement. By this arrangement no 
earth comes in contact with the walls of the 
basement; hence the apartments are dry and 
well lighted. Full provision is made to 
secure perfect ventilation in the area and 
basement, by an underground, descending 
air-duct, laid below solar Influence, which 
discharges the air on the surface of the 
ground, remote from the building. The 
earth surrounding the duct being cooler in 
Summer than the atmosphere, the air in the 
duct is cooled, and, in consequence of its 
the area and basement. The, action of this 
subterraneous air-duct is reversed in Winter; 
the air in the duct being more rare than the 
external atmosphere, rises through the duct, 
is received into the. area and basement, 
thence supplying the entire building with 
it in Winter, nearly at the same temperature 
as the earth. 
The apartments on the principal floor are 
truly elegant in form, and when all thrown 
open to the hall, constitute a suit, which in 
point of beauty and grandeur, could not be 
excelled. 
The building lias but one chimney. It is 
heated by circulating hot water, or by the 
use of an automatic steam heater; in either 
on the principal floor are all folding, and six 
feet in width, thus providing a grand prom¬ 
enade circuit, which may be extended 
through the conservatory if preferred. 
The form of the rooms and their respective 
positions, as wilt be seen by reference to the 
plan, could not lie more desirable; and in 
consequence of the form of the rooms and 
the location of the windows, the angle at, 
which the light is received in each apart¬ 
ment, makes the amount of light nearly 
equivalent to that admitted by an immense 
bay window; hence all the apartments arc 
very perfectly lighted. 
The center of the main hall is circular, ID 
feet in diameter, being open to the ceiling of 
the central cupola, 42 feet in height, through 
the opening, or well hole in the floor of the 
second story, 1D feet in diameter; the ceiling 
of the second floor being domed over to the 
base of the cupola. These features com¬ 
bined, constitute a cent ral rotunda, such as 
is rarely seen in a private mansion, and one 
that will be charming in effect, particularly, 
as it will light; up the walls of both upper 
and lower ball so favorably for the display 
of paintings and engravings, with which 
they may he tiling. 
The chamber floor is divided into six 
beautifully lighted and ventilated private 
rooms, each 17 feet 8 inches, by 14 feet; one 
17 feet 8 inches, by 28 feet; one lDxlfi feet, 
with four dressing rooms, 7x14 feet; and 
two spacious bath-rooms, with water-closets 
in each, besides an abundance of closets. 
There are also two fine rooms in the third 
stories of the towers, which are as pleasant 
as any in the house. The principal stain- 
case is wide, well lighted, easy and very 
beautiful. There are also private stairs 
leading from dining-room to basement. 
The basement is divided into a kitchen, 
the same size as the rooms on principal 
floor; a laundry, with an ice-pit under it; a 
house keepers’ room; three fine sleeping 
apartments for servants; a splended wine 
cellar; a large fuel room; one for heating 
apparatus; a servants’ water-closet; and a 
spacious passage running through. 
The entire building is surrounded by a 12 
feet veranda, the outer edge of which rests 
on pillars 3 feet D inches in height, which 
Stand on the coping of a wall which sustains 
the earth all around the building, to the 
height of 0 feet. This coping lies only its 
thickness above the surface of the surround¬ 
ing grade. 
TERMS, IN ADVANCE: 
Scjwchiption Throe Dollars a Year, To Clubs 
and Agents, Five copies for $H; Seven, and one free 
to club asfent, for §19; Ten, and one free, for only 
per copy. As wo pro-pay A morlcun postage, $2.70 
is ike lowest Club rate to Canada and $3.50 to Europe. 
The best way to remit is by Draft or Poat-OfHeo 
Money Order,—and all Drafts and Orders made pay¬ 
able to the Publisher may be mailed at ins risk. 
AdvEutisin'i.; -Inside, 73 cents per line, Agate 
space ; Outside, $1 per line. For Extra Display and 
Cuts, a price and a half. Special and Business Notices 
charged according to position. No advertisement in¬ 
serted for less than $3. 
rclutfcturf 
A CIRCULAR MANSION. 
Designed fob Moore’s Ritkal Ni:w-Yobkek by 
J. " ilkinson,LandscapeHardener and 
Rural Architect, baltimobk,Md. 
The author of tin's original, novel and 
peculiar plan and form of a dwelling, was 
induced to attempt to arrange a bouse in a 
circular form, w ith circular, or oval rooms, 
and it passage with a waved outline, not for 
the novelty of the design, but under the con¬ 
viction that an economical, beautiful, and 
more palatial and luxurious residence could 
he built in this form than in any other. 
This building is designed for a rural resi¬ 
dence, and it is particularly adapted to a site 
where it will he in full view on every side, 
as the elevation is nearly equally imposing 
from every point, of view. 
The body of the building is 62 feet in 
diameter; it has two circular projections, 17 
feet in diameter each. The main build ing 
is two stories and a basement; the projec¬ 
tions, or towers, arc three stories. The 
height of the ceilings of the respective sto¬ 
ries are as follows .—The basement, 9 feet 
6 inches; the principal floor rooms, 13 feet; 
the chambers, 11 feet, as also are the third 
story rooms in the towers. 
The divisions of the principal floor con¬ 
sist of a fine passage, from 8 feet to 16feet in 
width, with vestibule front, and 1 rear; a suit of 
four rooms ot the same shape and size, viz., 
17 feet 8 inches x 2S feet; a butler’s pantry, 
16x16 feet; a store room of irregular form, and 
a conservatory, 16x16 lect. The doors from 
the passage to the rooms are opposite; the 
rooms on each side of the passage are con¬ 
nected, and the conservatory connects with 
both the parlor and the library. The doors 
leranda 
OUR DESIGNS AND DESIRES 
Vestibule 
Herewith is given an elevation and plan 
of an unique and expensive, though admira¬ 
bly designed and arranged home, embracing 
all the resources for luxurious comfort and 
convenience. We are well aware that this 
dwelling is not adapted to the wants of men 
with moderate mean-; hut it is our purpose, 
to give plans and elevations which shall 
meet the wants of all classes, and include, 
homes for the humblest as well as the citizen 
of wealth; also farm buildings of all kinds 
adapted to all uses. And we shall ho glad 
to receive such plans from architects and 
others who desire to serve the people and 
themselves, as they may, thereby. There i-; 
need that some one occupies this Rural fluid 
—that our farm-homes bo made not only 
more beautiful, and so designed as to accord 
with their surroundings, but more conve¬ 
nient and better adapted to the life and work 
of those who occupy them. No Rural re¬ 
form is more important; none demands mom 
careful study aud planning. Wo hope to 
contribute much during the year to secure 
such desirable results. With this object wo 
ask the co-operation of all of our readers 
and solicit both contributions, suggestions, 
and a ftjll expression of their needs and 
desires. Thin will help us greatly. 
Jitctlcr'e 
ttrxre 
Pantry 
!SX16. 
Vestibule. 
Veranda 
Carriage 
forchd 
FLAN OF PRINCIPAL FLOOR. 
increased density, it flows down and is dis¬ 
charged at the lower end of the duct; the 
vacuum thus produced being constantly sup¬ 
plied with fresh, pure air, perfectly ventilates 
