The morning news., 1888-11-26
PiaZZaS.

Nothing is more characteristic of Ameri
can country houses, as contrasted with
those of other northern lands, than their
large covered piazzas. These, says the
Gnrden and Forest, have been developed
in answer to as distinct and imperative
national need as ever determined the
Genesis of an architectural feature. Our
aerlv colonial ancestors did without
niazzas. for their habits of living and their
architectural schemes were alike imported
from England and Holland, and amid
strenuous people, occupied with sterner
problems than how to live most agreeably,
il was naturally some time before that
Gradual modification of habits which is in
evitably brought about at last by new eli
matte influences, could express itself in
architectural language. No colonial house
had anything that resembled a piazza. If we
find one attached to such house to-day, it
is an addition of later date, as is the case
with the well-known Longfellow house in
Cambridge.
But the introduction of the classic fashion
in architecture meant the erection of port-
cos. and the addition which they made to
comfort has never again been dispensed
with. When classic forms were abandoned
in favor of what has been dubbed our
nyernacular" style of achitecture-when
little temples gave way to plain, square,
box-like houses with gabled roofs-the por-
tico vanished, but its place was taken by a
modification of the veranda which had
long been in use in all southern lands. We
sneak of the course of things in our north
ern states; at the south, whore Spanish in
fuence was felt, verandas aud balconies
seem to have been used from the earliest
times.
When we say a "vernacuiar" style of
architecture, we mean one which has beeu
the unaffected ocutcome of universal needs
and desires, and therefore, whatever its de-
fects from an artistic point Of view, must
have large measure of practical fitness to
recommend il. Many factors of such
style must persevere, if progress in art is to
mean more. beauty and more fitness too;
and, in fact, widely as we have departed
from the plain, box like house in recent
years, our best new country houses are, III
many respects, developed from them, and
most notably so as regards the constant
presence of the piazza. Considerations of
sentiment and art excuse and make good lis
absence to the owner of an old colonial
house; but when new house is desired it is
a clearly recognized necessity, even though
some colonial schemes may be closely fol-
lowed in other respects. Only in very rare
cases do we see piazzas dispensed with by
an owner who cares more for the odd pleas
ure of copying with exactness an inappro-
pirate foreign model than for building him
self really comfortable home.
Certainly, no really comfortably country
home can exist in our land without piazza
Even on our most northerly borders the
heat of our summer atmosphere and the
strength of our sunshine make exercise in
the open air, to the extent to which it is
practised in England, for example, a sheer
impossibility. Nor, for similar reasons,
can we sit with comfort on the lawns OF
England or the uncovered terraces of
France, or in the arbors, placed at some dis
tance from the house, which are SO charac-
teristic of German villas. We must have
a wide and open yet covered space, closely
connected with our living rooms, where we
can pass our hours of rest and many of our
hours of occupation too. How necessary it
is we read in the fact that when well ar
ranged, the piazza always becomes the very
focus of domestic life and social inter
course-as central feature in summer as the
parlor freside is in winter.
But it is hardly needful to-day to affirm
that an American country house without
piazza is i'll every sense a mistake and Il
failure-that it palpably lacks fitness, and
therefore must lack true beauty in the eyes
of intelligent observers. 1t is more need
ful to protest against the excessive use of
piazzas than to urge their erection. When
their value was first fully appreciated, it
was belieyed that they could not be too
freely used. A house of any Importance
most frequently had three if not all of
its sides encircled by them. and their
breadth was as often as excessive as their
length. To-day reaction has begun to set
IN, and most fortunately. Piazzas on all
sides of house means that all the roo ms
are darkened and that direct sunshine can
nowhere enter the lower floor The consid-
Grafton is important even,when house is
meant merely for summer use; and it is all
important when winter as we'll as summer
comfort must be secured. Again, expert
ence will always show that with very ex-
tensive piazzas only certain portions are
commonly used, and that other portions
might be removed and meyer missed. And,
finally, as one Of the most difficult of cur
rent architectural problems is so to treat the
piazza that it will seem an integral part of
the house instead of a mere attached shed,
1T will be understood that the larger it is,
the harder becomes the task. II we look at
our best recent houses, we find that the main
piazza is confined to one side, or, placed
on corner, partly encircles two sides; and
tn re can be few cases in which more than
this is needful.
But for this to suffice, the piazza must not
be considered as a mere adjunct to an in
terror which may be planned without re-
gard to it. Success in its arrangement will
depend upon choice of exposure and out
look, but also upon the way in which it is
connected with the interior. If piazza docs
not comma nd the best view, or has not suf-
hclent light, or, on the other hand, admits
The sun too freely, it will be perpetual ex-
aSperation to it's owner; while If it is not
easily accessible from the most commonly
trequented rooms il will not fulfill its whole