A Stable Convertible Into a Garage 
A. RAYMOND ELLIS, Architect 
O UITE an unusual treatment has been given to 
this combination stable built in Hartford, 
Connecticut for Mr. John B. Knox. The 
site made the problem difficult, as the building lines 
ot the lot limited the operations. It was finally 
decided to attach it to the house, forming a small 
courtyard inside. This plan worked very satis¬ 
factorily, as will be seen from the plans. Another 
point arose; the house was brick and the cost of the 
stable had to be kept down. A frame building 
attached to a wooden one might look queer. How¬ 
ever, a gradual transition between the two materials 
was effected by making the porte-cochere arch of 
brick, carrying the balcony above in wood; this 
made a very picturesque and graceful effect. The 
exterior of the stable is painted to match the brick of 
the house, trimmed with a dark green, also like the 
house. The whole scheme is very harmonious. 
The increasing popularity of the automobile made 
it essential to prepare for its future consideration. 
Since a well appointed modern car requires more 
attention than a pleasure carriage, its future advent 
IS well provided for. The foundation is of concrete, 
divided into an unexcavated part under the carriage 
room and a manure pit under the stable, all well 
drained, vented and easily accessible. As a precau¬ 
tion against fire when gasoline would be used, a 
heating pipe encased in asbestos and boxed was 
brought from the house. As a temperature of sixty 
degrees is sufficient the tax on the boiler is not severe. 
The main house sewer was tapped for the sewer con¬ 
nection, properly trapped and vented. Gas being 
eliminated, electricity was used for lighting. 
The drive swings in from the street and under the 
porte-cochere, allowing a convenient turn into the 
stable. The carriage room has a concrete floor. 
and a wainscot of concrete three feet, six inches high 
entirely around it. The floor is pitched to drain 
well, and the repair pit for the automobile is reached 
by a trap door covered with galvanized iron. The 
pit itself has three sides of concrete; one end is left 
out as an exit in case of Are in the machine. The 
ceiling and walls above the concrete wainscot are 
hard plaster on metal lath; this reduces the possi¬ 
bility of fire to a minimum in this room. This treat¬ 
ment also extends to the workshop. A large amount 
of repair work is continuous on an auto; therefore, 
facilities must be afforded. Oils and waste should 
be carefully kept in a ventilated closet in the work¬ 
shop. Liveries, robes, etc., can be kept in the office. 
Ventilation is necessary in a stable to preserve the 
highly finished bodies of vehicles and upholstery. 
Heat is necessary to prevent excessive dampness, 
causing rubber, leather and paint to deteriorate. 
The gasoline pump, connected with a storage tank 
some distance away as required by the Board of Lire 
Underwriters, is recessed in the concrete side wall of 
the carriage room. Concrete floors, although gen¬ 
erally used, absorb oil and soon look badly unless 
a drip pan of copper is sunk in the floor under the 
machine, or slate slabs used. Vitrified tile and 
brick are non-absorbent and can be recommended. 
The stable portion is fully equipped with modern 
appliances and sanitary plumbing. The second 
floor contains two good chambers, and sufficient 
loft room for the storage of sleighs, grain and hay. 
The stalls, located in the wing, have partitions 
built of heavy plank, with iron guards on top, making 
them light and airy. In the floor of each stall is 
placed a cast iron stall pan, pitched to drain toward 
the rear of the stall, and connected with a cast iron 
drain to the manure pit. This connects with the 
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