The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-24
AN ARCTIC HOME.
THE STRANGELY CONSTRUCTED
ICELANDIC HOUSES.
Exicencies of Climate the Key TO
Their Awkward Architecture.
Built Of Wood, Lava ana
Turf-Picturesque Interiors

William H. Carpenter, in an article in
the atlantic Monthly on Icelandic farm
houses, SAYS: The buildings of q farm
usually arc under one roof and stand In
q row, with their gable ends facing the
court. They are peculiarly, constructed
economy of timber and the exigencies OF
the climate furnish, however, a key "
their architecture. Ordinarily, they are
but one story in height. They are
framed of wood, and their gables also
are wooden; their sides and backs, which
usually slope to the ground, are COM,
monty of lava and turf; the roof always
is matched with turf, which quickly
grows together and forms continuous
covering, through which wet. and cold
scarcely can penetrate. Seen from Q dis
tance q group of farm buildin ys bears
the appearance of an irregular grass
grown hillock, upon which, to heighten
the illusion, sheep are calmly grazing.
The farmhouse proper consists OF
two or three gables; next 1t
is the byre for the winter shelter OF the
cows, if the farmer is sufficiently we'll
to-do to possess any, and next the:
smithy with its forge and anvil: the Ice-s
lander in his isolation is thrown upon
his own resources, and is obliged still to-
exercise, upon occasion, calling that
has descended to him from an imme.
mortal past. Entering the house through
the low doorway in one of the gables,
you find yourself in long straight pass
ape, through which, even in broad day
light, you must commonly grope your
way. The floor is sometimes of boarda,
sometimes of earth; on each side doors
open into the ad dining buildings, sepa-
rated from each other only by woodens
partitions. Usually the door on one,
side leads into the common living
room of the house, which occupies
the whole of the building in which
it is situated. A quaint and pict-
uresque interior meets your, eye. It Is
long, low room, lighted at either end
by SQUARE window. Above, the beams
are visible, and have been made the
place Of deposit for an indescribable va;
riety of household articles. Along one
side stands the low, stationary bed which
serves also as q loungng place by day..
some square wooden chests are ranged
along the opposite side; at the end, par-
tieularly in winter, several women are
carding and spinning wool. This COM
mon room always indicates the thrift OF
poverty of the farmer. Sometimes it 10
scrupulously neat and orderly, aud its
furniture Is good and substantial, if not
costly. frequently, however, everything
about the place is of the most primitive
kind, and comfort, convenience and
cleanliness ore unknown. The bed looks
as if it were never made up; and dirt,
feas, children and dogs are distributed
in equal, though inordinate, propor-
tions. -: .s,ss 8
If you enter the door on the Opposite
side of the hall way. you find smaller;
room, usually furnished with chairs and
a table, and sometimes with bed. !
This, in the larger houses, in the spare
room of the house, and, after the various
saddles and Sunday garments placed
here for safe keeping have been removed,
it is assigned to the chance guests. i,
instead Of turning to the right or to the
left, you continue your way along the
passage to the end, you arrive at the,
kitchen, which usually is in, separate
building. Its floor is of earth. In .
fireplace flicksrs an uncertain fire OF
peat, and over it hangs an iron pot from
q crane. Everything Is dark and smoke
begrimed, for much of the smoke does
not escape through the open chimney,
and the only light is from the fire, Per-
haps an old woman with her black gar
ments and her tasseled hufa bends over
the kettle and STIR its contents. The
unsteady light gives it all weird ap.
pearance, and you wonder if the crone Is
not muttering an incarnation. 1t is such
an interior as Gerard Douw would have
loved to paint.
Small as is the kitchen fire, it is often,
the only one in the house, for fuel IN
some parts of the island is exceedingly
scarce, and must be used with the
strictest economy for cooking purposes
alone. It is customary to close the
houses when the cold winter weather
comes on, for then the atmosphere be-
comes at least warmer than the outside
air, if not quite so well adapted for
breathing purposes. The houses OF the
clergy are often better than those de-
scribed, in that they have more rooms,
or better accommodations; sometimes,
however, they are worse. or the guest
chamber already has oeen allotted. and In
that case you may retire to the neighber-
ing church.