MARTIN HOUSE 
Martins like to nest in colonies, so we must build them a house with a 
number of separate rooms if we hope to make them a home that will be 
attractive. 
In building a martin house there is no limit as to size or style of ar¬ 
chitecture that may be used. Your house may contain any number of rooms 
above four that you care to build, or it may be as plain or fancy as you 
wish to build it. 
Unless you are an experienced builder it will not be wise for you to try 
to construct a large and elaborate house, because a small and plain house 
will be just as attractive to the martins, and not as expensive to build 
as a large and fancy one. 
The drawing given in this lesson is of an eight room martin house. 
Material Required 
Lumber—White pine or cypress. 
Pieces 
1 
1 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 
2 
4 
4 
Finished Sizes—In. 
%"xl8"xl8" 
J4"xl8"xl8" 
H"x6M"xl3" 
H"x5}4"xl2" 
H"x6"xl3" 
K"x4"xl2" 
^"x9K"xl8" 
y"x5"xl2" 
y 2 "x5"5y 2 " 
y”xy"x5y 2 " 
Use 
Bottom Floor 
Upper Floor 
Lower Fronts 
Lower Sides 
Upper Fronts 
Upper Sides 
Roof Boards 
Partitions 
Partitions 
Strips 
Hardware, Etc. 
One and one-fourth inch brads. 
One inch and one and one-fourth inch screws. 
Tools—Rule, pencil, square, saw, plane, brace, 2 inch expansion bit, 
hammer, nail set, screwdriver and coping saw. 
Before cutting any stock study the drawing carefully. Cut out the large 
pieces first. The two 18 inch square bottom pieces will have to be made out 
of two or three separate pieces, either glued or fastened together with cor¬ 
rugated fasteners, as it is almost impossible to get lumber 18 inches wide. 
It is the better plan to cut out, and put together the lower part of the 
house first. Then you are not as liable to lose any of the different pieces, 
as you will be if you cut out all of the different parts before starting to as¬ 
semble them. 
Be sure to bore the entrance holes in the four front pieces, and have 
the two fronts of the top section cut the proper shape for the roof to fit on, 
before nailing the house together. 
The entrance holes must be bored very carefully from both sides, as 
the fronts of the house are liable to split. If you do not have an expansion 
bit cut the entrance holes out with a coping saw, and do not forget to sand¬ 
paper the edges of the holes after sawing. 
Assembling 
1. Before nailing the house together see that every piece is the correct 
size and shape. All ends and edges must be straight and square. 
2. Assemble the bottom section first. Nail the two sides between the 
two front pieces, keeping the outside edges even. Drive nails thru the 
front piece into the end of the side pieces. 
3. Fit and nail in the partitions next and be sure they divide the lower 
floor into four equal parts before nailing them in place. 
4. The top floor is now nailed to the bottom section by nailing down 
thru the top side of the floor into the sides, and ends of the lower section. 
If you have followed the drawings and measurements carefully there 
will be a projection oi 2y inches on the top and bottom floors all around 
the outside of the house. This makes the porch around the house for the 
young birds to light upon when learning to fly. 
5. The bottom floor is now fastened to the lower section of the house 
with 134 inch screws to allow for its removal at house cleaning time. It 
should have the same projection from the body of the house as the top floor 
has. 
6. Nail the sides on the top section between the two fronts. Be sure 
you have these pieces the correct shape and size or you will have trouble 
when you fit on the roof. 
7. Put in the partitions just as you did on the lower section. It is not 
necessary to have the partitions as high as the sides, because it makes a 
better ventilated house by leaving about one inch space on the top of the 
partitions. 
(Note)—Some bird authorities say that partitions in a martin house are 
not at all necessary. 
— 19 — 
