The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-02-22
VOLUME So.
Farm House Architecture.

No one who has passed over the road
leading from Hopegate, Quebec, to the
falls of Montmorency, has failed to notice
the exceeding beauty of the houses. They
are 10y no means costly structures, neither
are they new. They may be called cheap
affairs, built for the most part OF rough
stone Quarried on the little farms where
they stand. Many of them are two hun
dred years Old but time has not detaced
them. On the other hand, it has added
to their beauty. They doubtless look
prettier now than they did when the fleet
of Wolfe passed them to make an attack
on the citadel held by Montcalm. They
are in perfect harmony with the beautiful
natural landscape on either side of the
majestic st. Lawrence. They are artistic,
picturesque, ana altogether lovely. They
seem to be just the right things in the
right place.
Charming houses are also to be seen in
many portions of West Virginia, and
throughout the mountain regions of Ar
kansas. These, too, are cheap affairs.
They are built of logs with huge outside
chimneys laid up of flat surface stone.
In front of many Of them is porch, the
roof covered with pieces split from the
cyprus logs and supported by sections of
small trees studded with knots Wild
vines supply the place Of costly shelters
in keeping out the rays of the MONDAY
SUN. Moses Of various shades have or
namented the exterior of the walls as the
brush OF the painter could never do. IN
II a Tllp
beautiful than any imported from Europe,
have built their nests Tie men who
erected these houses "builded better
than they knew" Unknown to them,
lovers Of true art from France and Italy
have looked on their works with wonder
and admiration and accorded them great
credit for their exquisite taste.
But no art critic, no lover of the beau
titul in architecture ever wastes any
praises on the houses of we'll todo farm
ers in the prairie regions OF the west. No
painter ever transferred the outlines of
one OF them to canvas as labor OF love.
If be delineates it at all it is for nire.
Only in rare instances is the house of a
western farmer "a thing of beauty
When it is such the chances are that it
generally is, and not the effect OF design.
Few farm houses are in any respect in
harmony with their surroundings. They
look strangely out Of place. They do not
appear to match anything within sight of
them. They do not seem to be adapted
to the general landscapes. Ordinarily
their color is in striking and withal dis
agreeable contrast with the dark soil, the
green grass, and the yellow grain about
them. In short, the house ''is not a good
match"
As a general rule a farm house is not
convenient for the family that live in it.
This is by no means strange, seeing that
it was modelled after a house in a city Or
village. 1t generally has two much par
lOr and too little kitchen. The kitchen,
too, ordinarily commands a view of the
cow-shed and pig-sty and not of the
street and the door-yard. 1t looks as
awkward and is as uncomfortable as d
city dandy Is in a potato patch, The
lack of cOmely, tasty and convenient
farm houses is chiefly due to the lack of
rural architects. There are men in album
dance who know how to plan dwellings,
for city and village people, but very few
who know the requirements Of people liv-
ing on farms. To be a good rural archi-
tect a person must understand the wants
and habits of life of farmers and their
families
oar agricultural societies could spend
portion OF their money at their control
in no better way than III offering premi-
ums for plans for farm dwellings. Farm
ers' wives, especially, are more interested
in convenient houses than in fast horses.
\ house that will save steps for weary
worker is of more Importance than horse
that will take as many steps in a minute
as Parole or Flora Temple. If the ma
tional agricultural department would
torego for a season the Introduction Of
tea, dates and olives, and devote its at
tenti0n to the construction of farm
houses, it might accomplish more good
than it is doing at present. At present
much money is thrown away in building
houses or frames that might be saved if
the right sort OF information was within
the reach of those who erect dwellings in
the country. [Chicago Times.