Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-24
CUBAN HOUSES.
The Substantial-Look Residences sno
business Structures OF Havana.


business Structures OF Havana.
The architecture OF the city lends
much interest to street sights ana
scenes. There is no quarter in Havana
devoted wholly to business, none who'll
ly to homes. They are delightfully."-
comminglcd and often furnish most
entertaining pictures. The buildings
rarely exceed four stories in height.
More are two and one story than three;
but rugged and solid as they seem, and
are, there is y spaciousncss and loitl-
ness about most interiors that are truly
inviting. Even II a shop or apartment
be little 1t is always high, and with the
quaint utensils and fittings and rare
Old ornaments which are certain to be
genuine, polished metals always pre-
dominating, ones thought comes
quickly to u liking for the real in every
thing seen, just rs you will OCCASION
ally turn from the tinsel and pretense
of your own American home iinery OF
to-day with such II sense of longing
and delight to those old New England
homes where there are still solid iron.
solid brass and solid silver, or to
some of the little old chop-houscs
Dickens knew and so lovingly por-
trayed. where every ruddy-faccd En-
clishman that entered saw reflected
from innumerable polished copper
utensils and fittings his own jolly,
highly colorcd. copper-polished nose.
Every thing here is solid, secure, last
ing. All buildings are of stone, and
all walls are massively thick. This
stone is secured almost anywhere in
the island. is soft and easily worked
and ornamcnted when first quarricd,
but becomes nearly as hard as granite
from age and exposure, is porous, and
therefore cool-and, altogether, it is
sort of kindly providence against trop-
ical lazincss and tropical heat. The
proportion of splendid structures, as
compared with those in our cities, or
continental cities, is few; but there is
yet something fine and imposing in
the very plainncss and massivcncss OF
most exteriors. II, however, dccora-
ton is lacking in this respect, much is
atoncd for in the frequency, beauty
and positive grace of what is
seen in window. door, balcony
and upon roof. should not
aayc said window, us that is practical
" unknown iu Cuba, where the cline
is one OF eternal summer. That which
stands for the window is great apcr-
turc. very wide and high, and often
strikingly pleasing in decoration. But
glass is for ornament here, not usc.
The window then. for n better term, in
the common structure is simply q large
square opening, protected by stout iron
bars. and ut night by inner solid wood
shutters. But in the finer buildings
indeed, in most-thcy are grand af-
fairs. Some are in the form OF bay
windows of elaborate design. with their
protecting ironwork of the richest folia-
tionS, or with ornate lattice-work in
polished brass. saw one of the latter
of dazzling brightness, its designs be-
ing in quarterfoil form, nearly three
centuries old, every stroke of work
upon ii done by hand. and an art
creation worth going long way to see.
If these windows are interesting a'
studies. backed as they frequently art
by the costlicst interior decorations
with an occasional glimpse of beau
tiful senorita to complete the pict.
urc, the doors OF these Havana
houses are also worth separate study
and inspection. II must be first known
that the Cuban house cmbodes the
idea of protection. 1t is virtually
one or two story castle, and could not
be- taken without violent siege. There
is probably not door in Cuba which
is not bullet-proof, and their size and
strength preclude all successful assault,
save with battering ram. There ART
practically four doors in one. in ap
pearancc at long range like the door ol
doors of the Pennsylvania Dutch barn,
Many are of mahogany, and all art
riveted with iron bolts an inch thick
Some are seen where these bolt-head'
are immense knobs of polished brass
all are provided with locks like thu
locks of n donjon-kecp, and also with
immense wood or iron bars for fasten
ings behind. Above many are fine
cornice and pediment, and at the sides
OF the wall embrasures are frequently
seen antique patcras and gaIgoylcs in
stucco or bronze, while the ancient
brass knocker is universal, and Otter
of the form and size of giants hand
- Edgar l.. Wakeman, IN Chicago
NeUs.