A HOUSE COSTING LESS THAN SIX 
THOUSAND DOLLARS 
George Spencer 
/ T A HE problem presented was the designing 
A of such a house in a neighborhood 
where houses cost usually from eight to ten 
thousand dollars. This is always difficult, 
but the work of the architects was greatly 
facilitated in this case by the very reasonable 
demands of the clients who appreciated the 
situation fully. 
The location was a pleasing one. Large 
trees were already growing about the site and 
the grounds were not cramped. The house 
was to be placed in the rear part of an estate 
on which an old homestead already stood. 
The street to the rear of these grounds was 
comparatively unimportant, therefore we 
turned our back upon it and put our best 
face towards the distant and more important 
street and towards the old mansion. Easy 
access to the rear street was necessary, how¬ 
ever, for in this direction lay trains and 
trolleys, and from thence would come trades¬ 
men and, possibly, callers. 
A rigid adherence to style was frankly 
abandoned at the outset. The original in¬ 
tention as indicated in the pencil perspective 
was to have the walls of pointed face stone 
work with a large dashed post under the 
corner of the porch. It was found, however, 
that purposes of economy were best served 
'FIRST FLOOR.PLAyN - 
Morris, Architect 
by dashing the face of the stone walls and 
substituting a heavy wooden post on the 
porch. No pebbles were used in the dash¬ 
ing,—simply cement, sand and finely ground 
slag—smeared on roughly with the trowel 
marks left showing. The result was artistic 
in effect and pleasing in color. Mindful 
of the fact that the classic Main Street of 
Germantown was close at hand, we felt the 
appropriateness of the pent roof above the 
entrance. Carrying it straight on around 
the porch we formed therewith the parapet 
protecting the balcony above. A glass door 
opening from the second story bedroom gives 
access to this balcony. 
The plan has the merits of simplicity of 
treatment and economy of space. Two 
bedrooms and a good sized storage loft are 
provided on the third floor. The willing¬ 
ness of the client to do away with such space- 
devouring features as vestibule, stair hall, 
etc., enabled the architects to provide a large, 
well-lighted living hall which at once affords 
a sense of spaciousness on entering. From 
this room direct access may be had to the 
kitchen, dining-room and second floor. The 
accommodations of pantry and kitchen are 
as complete as those usually furnished in a 
much more expensive house. 
' SECONiP FLOOR PLAN - 
T 47 
