June 15, 1917. 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE and Reminder 7 
New Residences and Improvements Along North Shore 
(Reprinted from Boston Transcript of May 19, 1917) 
By CHARLES E. ALEXANDER 
HAMILTON IMPROVEMENTS ARE OF INTEREST 
HEN work, now in hand at “Rock Maple Farm,” the 
summer residence on Main street, Hamilton, of Hon. 
George von L,. Meyer, is completed, the house will occupy 
a new and much better site, some distance away from the 
main highway and at a much higher elevation, The house, 
Italian villa in general character, is now being moved 
back into Mr. Meyer’s grounds and up the slope of a 
hill, where upon its new foundations it will be far better 
placed. Its removal will call for the development of the 
foregrounds, in addition to the formal Italian gardens laid 
out some seasons ago, and which will be enlared. There 
will be new drives and approaches and planting to advan- 
tage, all from plans by Arthur A. Shurtleff of Boston. 
Old-Time House Remodelled 
Remodelling of old-time houses in Hamilton has 
brought forth most comfortable dwellings which are in 
wide contrast to the formal residences of brick or stone 
found at the North Shore. One old place on Main street 
belonging to Mrs. John B. Moulton has been moved from 
its original site to a better position and has been consider- 
ably altered, without loss of its ancient look, It may be 
recalled as having been formerly occupied in summer sea- 
sons by Rev. Roland Cotton Smith, D. D., of Washing- 
ton, D. C., before he built his own residence, ““Cottonfield,” 
in Ipswich. The Moulton house is of two and a half 
stories, painted white and with gambrel roof of green, 
and heavy shutters of the same color mark the small- 
paned windows. It has been enlarged from its original 
size and this gives a most commodious living room with 
panelled dado, above which the painted walls represent 
Italian scenes. The panels found in the house are old and 
the house itself is ancient, although its exact age is not 
known. It has all the characteristics of a house of long 
ago. The dining-room is sunny, from exposure through a 
large new bay window which, however, does not detract 
from the ancient character of the place. Various rooms 
have been improved and rearranged and the house, all 
furnished, is exceptionally attractive. 
It has been leased by Mr. and Mrs. Albert C. Bur- 
rage, Jr., who already are established in it. There is a 
stable and garage, in combination, with accommodations 
for nine horses and two automobiles, with work rooms, 
etc, The two-story building has a well-planned tenement 
on the second story. Mrs. Moulton herself planned all 
these changes in the house and made the plans for the 
stable-garage, and she has personally superintended the 
work on these. 
Ancient Place Quaint in Look 
Another example of what may be brought out of a 
seeming impossibility is the making over of an ancient 
house on Main street belonging to George C. Vaughan, 
not far from his so-called ‘‘Patch House,” which was 
made over last year with notable success and has since 
been occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Gerard Bement. _ Its 
changes were all planned by Mrs. John B, Moulton, in 
behalf of Mr. Vaughan, and the remodelling of the nearby 
house this season also has been under her personal super- 
vision, and from her own plans. The old-time house 
dates back probably to 1715, and may be perhaps even 
more than two centuries old. Its ancient appearance has 
been retained in making the changes. 
with a low attic for storage use. 
The small entrance hall is of old country pine board 
It is of two stories . 
matched boards, showing an intersecting reed moulding, 
and the quaint little stairway in the corner is of rough 
pine. All the wood is unpainted and is brown with time, 
and beams especially show their great age. The living- 
room has an old brick fireplace with tiled base and with 
little closets built in at the sides, The walls are of boards 
similar to the hall. Overhead cross-beams are so low 
everywhere that a person of average height can touch the 
ceiling between the beams. The dining-room is perhaps 
of greatest interest, made from what was originally the 
kitchen. It is large, low and like other rooms has small 
windows. The ample fireplace is.a feature. The walls 
are in matched pine and the moulding effect is a bit diff- 
erent from that elsewhere in the house. The overhead 
beams are worm-eaten and there still remain the hooks 
whereon in earlier days an old gun probably was hung. 
Everywhere are ancient wooden latches at the simple 
doors and the front door is fitted with a very old lock 
and big key of interest. In the rear of the house an ad- 
dition has been made because of its former inadequate 
size for modern use. A music room is gained, with broad 
bay window and high Colonial fireplace. This room is 
finished in white but its whole appearance is in keeping 
with the ancient part of the house. Connecting with it 
is a screened covered porch, wide brick paved. There is 
a new kitchen and laundry, in the addition. Upstairs 
there are several chambers, small for the most part, re- 
taining their look of early days, with exposed rafters and 
beams. The rooms are finished in rough plaster. At 
some of the doors with their old wooden latches, the 
proverbial “latchstring” is in place for actual use. Light- 
ing the stairway to the second floor is a Paul Revere 
lantern. Two baths have been made from small rooms 
and these are the only evidences of really modern build- 
ing. There are several rooms and a bath for use of ser- 
vants. 
Electric lighting equipment is cleverly concealed by 
use of tin sconces with candle burners, exact reproduc- 
tions of ancient ones which were discovered by Mrs. 
Moulton. They add to the general impression of an- 
tiquity. Besides planning and personally supervising all 
these changes which have come out with such successfui 
results. Mrs. Moulton has completely furnished the 
house in accordance with its appearance and great age. 
All the furniture is genuinely antique and some of the 
pieces are of historic value and out of the usual in point 
of interest, especially old linen chests, dressers, corner 
cupboards and Windsor chairs and other furnishings. 
There are old-time hooked rugs on the bare floors, in 
harmony with the other things, and in the dining-room 
old pewter pieces are interesting and attractive. The en- 
tire house is most restful in its treatment and has the 
atmosphere of long ago. 
There is a garage which, while a new building, cor- 
responds to the old look of the house. This also was 
planned by Mrs. Moulton. It will accommodate two cars, 
has a cleaning room, furnace room and other modern 
equipment and above is a commodious tenement, well 
planned, for use of a chauffeur. There will be planting 
of the grounds, especially with many old-fashioned flow- 
ers about the front entrance and near the house, where 
will be hollyhocks, larkspur, stock, sweet william, peonies 
and other things, in season. ‘This ancient house has been 
leased by Mr, and Mrs. Nathaniel S. Simpkins, Sr. 
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