November, 1923 
55 
from everything except itself? Without 
going into a maze of detail, I will touch on 
four things which make the English country 
house what it is. If these things, or factors, 
can be duplicated in any other country, it 
would be possible to duplicate the English 
country house, as, indeed, has been done. 
In the neighborhood of Philadelphia, nota¬ 
bly, where two, three and even all four 
factors are found duplicated, we also find 
country houses which very closely approach 
in kind and at times excel the ideal English 
country house. 
The first essential of the English country 
house is the man for whom it is being built. 
The Englishman is not so self-conscious as 
we are. He does not feel that he must build 
a house as nearly as possible like the houses 
to the right and left of him. It is his house, 
and he will have it the way he wants it. He 
is not afraid that his friends will think it is 
“queer”. What if they do? Does it matter? 
Not at all, and much less the possible 
comments of passers-by along the road. 
By this I do not mean that the English¬ 
man wants, or builds a freak house, one 
that would be an affliction to his neighbors. 
There is a wide range between this and the 
commonplace. To build a house which is 
pleasingly interesting because it is unusual 
is to do a favor to the whole community. 
The builder of a country house in Eng¬ 
land, then, stands a chance of having a 
{Continued on page 110) 
A small modern English country house 
■with a roof of straw thatch and walls of 
stucco. It is simply designed, but at 
little cost and no ostentation it achipes 
distinction. Basil Oliver, architect 
This detail of the en¬ 
trance of the house ( be¬ 
low) shows a splendid 
bit of weather^ clap¬ 
boarding and timber 
work; roof of thatch 
In this house built by 
an architect for him¬ 
self there is an inter¬ 
esting demonstration 
of formal gardening 
done on a small scale 
