House and Garden 
Vol. XVI AUGUST, 1909 No. 2 
“WELDACRE” 
A Charming Summer House at Phillips Beach, Massachusetts 
By MARY H. NORTHEND 
A T Phillips Beach, in Massachusetts,—a favor¬ 
ite mecca ot exclusive society people, and 
the site of numerous beautiful homes,—is 
located “ Weldacre,” the charming summer residence 
of Mr. George E. Smith, which was designed by 
Mr. Guy E. Lowell, the well-known Boston archi¬ 
tect. 
It stands well back from the main highway, that 
leads from Swampscott to Marblehead, and is en¬ 
sconced in the midst of smooth shaven lawns, bor¬ 
dered at the front with clumps of free-growing shrubs. 
Beds of bright flowers are planted at intervals about 
the grounds, and serve to relieve the monotony at¬ 
tendant upon such broad expanses of solid green, 
and, in addition, add a gay, artistic touch most pleas¬ 
ing to contemplate. At the rear the lawn slopes to 
a broad stretch of marshland, overgrown with the 
quaint little bog plants that love to riot in swampy 
places and this in turn sweeps to the borders 
of old ocean 
wh os e deep 
blue tones seem 
in the distance 
to combine 
with the tints 
of the horizon 
line. 
The house 
itself is con¬ 
structed of red 
brick, with 
trimmings of 
pure white, 
and blinds 
stained a dark 
green, and the 
steep pitched 
roof is shingled. 
Groups of dor- 
mer windows, 
inserted at the 
front and rear 
of the roof, render the third floor chambers light and 
airy, and, in addition, serve to relieve the severe 
simplicity of the roof line. 
A unique loggia arranged at the right of the en¬ 
trance door, is an interesting exterior feature, and 
forms a cosy nook in which to lounge and contem¬ 
plate the parade of carriages and automobiles that 
constantly passes along the highway on summer 
afternoons. A broad covered veranda, supported 
by Ionic columns, extends across a portion of the 
rear of the house, and it is comfortably fitted up as an 
outdoor living-room. 
It connects atone end with an open veranda, shaded 
by an adjustable awning, which serves the purpose 
of breakfast-room whenever the weather permits, 
and proves a most enchanting spot in which to par¬ 
take of the morning meal, surrounded as it is by 
sloping stretches of grass, with unobstructed glimpses 
of the old ocean in all its varying moods, and 
constantly per¬ 
meated with 
the fragrance 
of honeysuckle, 
rambler roses 
and wistaria, 
which clamber 
about trellises 
arranged just 
without. The 
approach to 
the house from 
the highway 
is by means of 
a broad grav¬ 
eled path that 
winds past 
lawns and flow ¬ 
er beds to the 
entrance, flank- 
e d on either 
side by hand¬ 
some bay trees 
THE HOUSE ENTRANCE SHOWING THE QUAINT ROUNDED HOOD 
Copyright , 1909, by The John C. Winston Co. 
39 
