The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-01
nAu Architecture

dwe,,,pos and business, with the view OF ac-
s.r,,,od,t;on to the altered condition Of our
neoplc and the growing demands Of the CITY.
We have not tina. superabundance of house
servants that slavery afforded, and we must
arrange our houses so as to enable fewer ser
wants to do all the homework. We must
compact the business of housekeeping ana
bring the whole process Immediately under
the ere Of the housekceper. A great deal OF
trouble will be thus avoided and great deal
of money saved. We want nothing ike SO
much room as we thought was absoiute'!
necessary In days gone by. We want tna'
space no longer for ourselves ana no longer
for our friends. We cannot live rs we once
aid and we canuot entertain as we once dld.
Hopses should be compacted 80 as to give
room enough and to promote the eonVe-
nience of the family in the highest degree.
The pailors should not crowd upon the
space devoted to lodging and the table. All
departments should be we'll Lighted aud ,0eH
ventilated. The heat as well as the smoke
and odors of the kitchen should be con-
Quoted from other parts of the house. The
storeroom and pantry should be convenient
to kitchen and duiug-rocm, and readily
accessible TO tho housewife. The servants
should be convenient, comfortable, and gen.
teel. Badly-lodged servgits are always Stat
terms and "roughs." Make servants think
well Of themselves by good lodging and find
ing, and they will render more and better
service, while they will dress better and be
far better behaved.
Houses with these objects i'll view, and
with these well carried out, will he public
blessings to this city. They should Ge con-
s,ructed Of different sizes-some renting
low, for industrious, good people in moder-
ate circumstances and some more costly, for
men of larger means. But the condition Of
The country and the great social revolution VIC
are still passing through demand that the
motives we have recited should control in
the whole architecture Of private dwellings.
Then, for business houses, there Is room
for great Improvement. Although there has
been a decided advance in both taste and
Judgment in building these houses, there is
much room still for the display OF practical
sense and good taste. The stores in Rich
mond that have lately been built are very
fine, but there are many of them defective
in arrangement while the buildings ap-
propriated to Offices are many Of them I'M
fortunately divided, and not we'll lighted or
ventilated.
We might direct public attention to SHA-
FER's building at the corner of Malp and
Tenth streets as one OF the best arranged
houses for Offices that we have ever seen
here or elsewhere. Mr. SLATER lays the city
under obligations by setting such an eXam-
pie in making the very best use of space,
and obtaining at tie same time both light
and ventilation in admirable manner. His
building Is an ornament to the city for its
handsome exterior, its high-pitchcd rooms,
elegant windows, and the convenient and
graceful ways Of entry to 1t.
. We are sure Mr.. SHAFER's building will
very much help to improve the style of new
buildings. His rooms will be always in de-
mand, and we are sure his income is better
than that from any other rented building of
like dimensions In Richmond.
The subject is interesting, and deserves to
be well considered by landlords. This city
is at turning point, and we must change
things to suit her new career. A city is
judged very much by its architecture, its
gardens, its means of amusement. In old
times the chief attention was paid to private
dwellings. They were made large, and
every citizen had room for himself and a
host of friends. The stranger said it was a
beautiful city, with its fine dwellings aud
gardens and trees, and was happy city for
| social refinement and boundless hospitality.
But there is new dispenSation. We build
now grand temples for schools, fine stores
for trade, and are going in for large manu-
factories. The private dwellings are getting
smaller, and the hospitality Is as sincere as
| ever, but not so grand.
This is the result Of irresistible causes,
| and let Us make the best of the new heaven
and the new earth.