Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-07-31
HOUSE BUILDING.
A Pleasant Talk of Our Houses rs Com
pared with those of Foreign Countries
Good Suggestions. -.. F.F."

Among the first feelings which a
traveller acknowledges to himself after
returning from Europe is one of disap-
pointment at the general run of our
houses, especially those in the country.
He misses the picturesqueness of the
English cottage, of the German farm
house, the vine-grown walls, the win
dows projecting from the roofs, the low
height, the shadow, and quiet tone about
them, and the irregular form. He feels
at first as if he would give all the star
ing, formal villas of his country for one
little ivy-grown or red-roofed cottage in
an English hawthorn lane or green
German valley. But soon experience
teaches him that country's architec-
ture Is to large degree q necessary
fault and outcome of its circumstances.
We have peculiar and difficult climate
here, and must first of all consider it in
our buildings. There is the heat of the
tropics in the summer, and the almost
Arctic cold in the winter. We cannot
have low houses here, for the rooms
would be intolerable in summer. Low,
sharp-gabled cottages, with dormer
windows in the roof, are, no doubt, pic
turesque, but they mean hot chambers
under the roof, and low, close sitting
rooms. Even if an air-chamber be Sc
cured between the roof and the bed
room, still the upper rooms, in such
nights as we have now, would be al
most uncomfortable. We must have
houses high between floors, and the
bedrooms well separated from the roof.
Then another element of the pictur-
esque is the deep shade and thick vines
overclambering the walls. But our ex-
perience shows that sun and air are
indispensable for health in house, and
we are compelled more and moreto plant
trees at q little distance, securing shade
by piazzas or balconies, and allowin G
the sun free play on roofs and walls. A
moderate use of wall-vines is, of course,
permitted under these conditions, but
any - excessive draping with ivy or
creepers breeds insects and increases
dampness. The constant liability to
malaria, of course, modifes all our
modes of building, and compels us to
admit sun and air. Indeed, it will be
noticed now in England that all the
country houses are built much more in
the American or French style than
formerly, with airy chambers, high
stories, and much openness to the sun,
and summer balconies for shade.
The irregular form of English houses
is historical feature; result of growth
1t appears here sometimes where an ole
country-seat has been enlarged and re
modelled, and is wonderfully attractive
But it is exceedingly inconvenient. i
requires great expense in the care, il
lighting, warming, and drainage. The
cheapest of all houses is the square
house, and as most people build will
small means in this country, they natur
ally adopt this, or some modification o
this form. These old and irregula
English villas, it should be remembered
have become nuisances under moderl
sanitary ideas. Their drainage is execra
BILE, and they are often nests of typhoiC
fever.
In this country, the first thing for
householder to consider-before a.
ornamentation or architectural effect
drainage. He must see to it that hi
water pipes and drain pipes are we
protected from the frost, that the trap
are close, and that the outflow is unim
peded. In all small households it is til
part of wisdom to place the water pipe
behind the kitchen chimney (Which
. always warmed), to have but one angle
! and no cross pipes to any bedroom. S
fatal are the return gases from drair
, that it is safer to keep up the old cour
try custom of bowl and pitcher in til
I bedroom, and obtain all the water frol
I but one place-the bathroom-whic
). should be entirely separated from til
n bedrooms. 1t is believed by physician
v in New York that one of the most prt
h life sources there of diphtheria and a
IS foul air diseasesis the return gas throug
4 the Croton water drains.
q In regard to material, it is doubtful
anything is more suitable for this cl
/, mate than wood, with "brick filed in
. This is dry and warm. But in evel
4 locality there are peculiar, and ofte
~ beautiful, building stones which cou
! be combined with wood in the Swi
= chalet style with very pretty effect. Y
- small house builders will find that evel
% deviation from the ordinary style is e
pensive. Stone alone seems often dan
and for some unknown reason) not
completely water-tight. A red roof is
very pretty feature, but if of tile
lie slate, it is expensive, and if of shingle
K, exposed to rot. 1t seems pity that Il
4, modern black and blue slate is so mu,
er taking the place Of shingles in count
ID houses. Piazzas are the great necessi
e. in this climate, and the prettiest featu
Ill in our architecture. They should nj
A however, be built on the south side
III the building, and on the west should n
SO be so broad rs to exclude all winter su
A balcony for an open-air breakfa
would be an exceedingly pretty featu
IN in our best villas.
ne OF means of warming q small count
y house it is difficult to speak "to edifiC
Il, tion." Our present system of hot-i