February,1910 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
75 
to be guarded against by a fence and 
gateway, but simply the public gaze, for 
how can there be a sacred refuge any¬ 
where if this is to be always and unre¬ 
servedly admitted, and how can there be 
any true home feeling without that neces¬ 
sary sense of privacy — gained only by a 
fence with architectural merit or a hedge? 
But the true home feeling—the Anglo-Saxon home feeling— 
has been gaining adherents rapidly of late in this country, and 
with it we gain a very much better sense of the esthetic in fences 
and gateways than was even possible in the preceding age—a 
commercial age, a shopkeeper’s age, let us term it, — of ostenta¬ 
tious rivalry and display, the motto of which was to give the show¬ 
case a chance at the sidewalk. True, it was not always as bad as 
this in our land. The commercial idea in America dates from the 
administration of Andrew Jackson, otherwise, we should have no 
legitimate prototypes from which to draw inspiration. My 
contention is that in order to erect a gateway which will be really 
adequate for all the needs of the house-builder of to-day, we must 
first consult American history at a time when the fence and gate¬ 
way were in fashion, of course, but where they had the truer 
dual mission in the world—the sense of home-privacy first to 
express, and next, the architectural appreciation of the builder. 
1 would not like anyone to suppose, though, 
that examples of good, historic gateways are 
so common in our land that all one has to 
do is to take a day’s outing, and spend it 
pointing his camera at gateways hit or 
miss. For the present collection represents 
the bulk of five years of patient work. 
The gateway at Middletown, Conn., is 
a reproduction by a modern architect, 
very skilfully evolved, and attuned to its 
surroundings. There will usually be found but one gateway the 
equal of this in a whole New England town. Providence is an 
exception. It has four or five remarkably beautiful examples. 
The Perry house terrace gateway at Providence is modern, and 
while exceptionally good in detail, is disappointing in design, at 
least so far as the arch is concerned. 
What we must insist upon is a gateway that shall reflect 
and express privacy, protection and beauty for us. Ordinary 
hand-me-down gateways, with neither romance nor mystery 
nor traditions in their make-up, will not do. 
Gateways and fences such as these are by no means inexpen¬ 
sive. Delicately carved and molded woodwork usually does 
cost money. The question is, however, can we feel the full 
significance of home life without this combined protection 
and embellishment. Let us have our fences and gateways, 
and let us have them in keeping, even if the house itself must 
be a trifle smaller or of less costly materials, 
or the land a bit less in extent. 
The imposing gateway of the Brown 
estate, Providence, bears marble 
busts of the family’s founders 
Why do we so seldom find modern gate¬ 
ways with the charm of this old Hing- 
ham one? 
Such gateways as this York, Me., example 
are very rare—you may find but one in 
a town 
Providence, R. I., is exceptionally rich in its 
noteworthy old gateways 
A mere gateway is not enough; it must 
have good architecture back of it 
This charming old gateway with its graceful 
urns is at Bedford, Mass. 
