Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-30

| residence 1t is rather
unusual, however, to find city houses that are
evidently built for the season Of the year when
tho mercury mounts high and yet it is easy in
several ways to make the average city
home better adapted for summer resi-
dence than it Is now. To accomplish
this it is not necessary to go to the extreme Of
house architecture is seen in oriental coun-
tries and put up houses with movable
sides. 1t is always well to have a house that is
rs independent as possible in its relation with
the houses in the immediate vicinity. But
even where You are obliged to
| use the party walls Of the adjoining
| houses and you have only the front and back it
! Is still possible to build your house SO that it
will be cooler than your neighbor's. For
example, would 1t not make a great difference
! in the temperature of your house if the walls
were about twice as thick as they are at present
and the window openings were deep recesses
with space enough in the embrasures for the
outside blinds to fold back. Suppose the crew
ices under the window gills were closed up and
| everything was tight and snug it would take on
low estimate about four times as long for the
sun to thoroughly warm such q wall than the
ordinary wall.
TO KEEP OUT THE HEAT.
The public buildings are an illustration In
point and the comparatively low temperature
which prevails in these structures is attributed
largely to the thickness Of the walls. Thick
walls not only add to the comfort Of a home as
summer residence. but are excellent to ward
on the icy blasts OF winter. Everybody under
stands the means to be adopted to guard against
cold weather, but they are not equally familiar
with the devices which will get the st Of O
hot day. There is general principle that I'M
derhes the entire question, which Is that a
building that is hot and close in summer is apt
I tn he cold and ahl ip iy+a
pie who are sweltering in close, stuffy boxes Of
houses will be obliged as rule
to wear wraps in doors next win
ter to keep from freezing. Substantial walls
and good construction, however, cost more
money than people who build houses for sale
are willing to pay. and so if it is not deemed
worth while to spend money IN this way
| tairiy something can be done about the top
story OF the house, which is not apt to be COM
Portable during any season of extreme weather.
Sometimes the top story happens to be the sec
ond story, and then the principal bed rooms are
located there. When it is the third story the
suffering from the heat cold is intense,
but then the occupant is generally visitor or
perhaps roomer and can stand il or ought to
stand 1T. If 1t is considered that the top story
OF house can be made just as habitable as the
lower story then people will wonder why
they have put up with such privations.
Almost the entire difficulty lies in the fact that
there is an insufficient air space above the cell
ing. II the roof is raised higher and sufficient
ventllatOrs are put in the walls the temperature
Of the upper door would be materially improved.
But this costs more money and the result is that
the air space in the average house is about as
contracted as is possible.
SENATOR EDIUNDs PLAN.
good device to stop this evil without too
| great an outlay Of money was adopted by OK
| Senator Edmunds on the back building to his
residence which he erected on Massachusetts,
avenue. He did not wish to run up the back
! building higher than one story, and the fiat tin
roof sdng on the brick walls would have re-
suited in a nice warm climate ir that back
! building If it had not been that
upon this roof and resting on sup
| ports some two or three feet high was
built another tin roof. There was unob-
ss. aani and on .h h sides ho
collected in the tin was dissipated
out into space before it could get in
its work on the roof below. No doubt that
back building is cool and comfortable. 1t is
quite certai bat if the tin roofs of houses were
protected frolh the sun in some way and free
circulation Of air secured over the top that the
| upper portion of houses would be cooler in
summer than Is the case al present
| Nearly everybody fills the window openings
In their houses with sashes. 1t is impossible to
use the entire opening for ventilation for the
| reason that 1t is choked up with the sashe5.
Why not do away with the sashes entirely and
have easement frames, which, as everybody
knows, Is window cash opening down the mid
die instead Of at the top and bottom and swing
ing back on hinges1 If every window is not a
easement window certainly it would contribute
to comfort in hot weather If there were one or
| two such windows in each bed room.
| In number OF other ways, IL people would
only stop to think about it, the happiness Of
life in the city during the hot weather would be
increased. There are of course various ideas
4 about the location of bnusa md,
doubt these ideas are based on substantial
grounds, but after all house is cold in winter
and hot in summer mainly because Of some
badly arranged interior plan.
| FINE CHURCH EDIPIcE.
| The plans have been prepared for the cree
ton Of handsome stone church edifce at the
corner Of 14th and r streets. In the course of
few weeks it is probable that a contract will
| be made and the work of construction begin at
| once. While not in any sense pretentious
structure this building which has been de-
signed by Messrs. Hornblower 4 Marshall
| architects, will embody many Of the latest
ideas in regard to church construction. Tho
church, as has been stated in The STAR is the
gift, or rather will be, Of Mrs. Mary Gunton-
Temple, and it is intended to be a mem rial to
her father, the late DR.. VIM. Gunton, and to her
husband, Mr.. Edward Temple, who recently
died. 1t Is a gift to the Unity Presbyterian
| Church, and the edidce when completed will be
known q tne Uunton-lempie Memorial Church.
The Unity Church owns free of incumbrance
| the fine building site on which the present
| modest building stands. This Is to be
| torn down and the new church will occupy the
entire ground, which has frontage of 80 feet
| on l4th street and 103 on r street. The design
| OF the building Is intended to be worked out in
| white Maryland marble and will be u graceful
| example Of the Norman style of architecture. A
low square tower is the principal feature of the
front. Flarking the tower is gable. The
| main entrance is in the center OF the front.
There will be ample windows on the side. The
interior Is to be Handsomely finished and COM
pletely furnished by Mrs. Temple.
Before the Unity congregation can take pos
session Of this new editce the congregatior of
the Eastern Presbyterian Church viii
plying the fine new stone structure viii
on Stanton Square in the northeastern
Of the city and which is now being erected
During the present summer work
| men have possession Of the auditorium
lrRNA - 1911 -