The record-union., 1894-07-21
THE ORANGES"
Suburban Residences of New York
Business Men.
The Homes, Parks and Driveways OF
New Yorkers Who Delight in
the Beauties of Nature.

Regular Correspondence of RECORD -UNIoN.l
New YORK, July livery human
being born near this city feels drawn to-
ward it, and if it is practicable to do SO,
comes here to live and strive. In the
same way every New Yorker yearns to
get out Of his native town and. if it is
possible, does so. The result is the de-
cadence of the farmhouse and the con-
struction Of thousands of little dwellings
in the surrounding towns, villages and
even in the country districts.
These suburbs in the favorable seasons
are beautiful. Their attractions to the
visitor are few and simple, but they are
refreshing and a real esthetic delight. In
the spring, when they are green, they
look their best to those who know nature
in the East; in autumn, when the rich
fall colors prevail, the Western eye
might find the greatest pleasure. But
the suburbs are always a wonder in this
sense at least, that they are revelation
OF the wealth of the city in their mluSt,
and of the growing taste for the beautl-
full, which comes out more slowly in the
brown stone and marble of the city man
sion.
In this last respect ''the Oranges" a
group of villages near Newark, New Jer-
sey. are the most complete. There one
may drive, as L did recently, for six hours
along shaded streets and roads, ana see
continuously the signs OF wealth and
good taste. 1t has been too often said
that Americans are wretched builders.
That is libel They are the best OF mod
ern builders. This was my impression,
but it has been supported by the judgment
of men, architects and artists some of the
latter bitter critics. TOO, of America who
were freed from prejudice by developed
sense OF the fitness Of things Anyone
in the business viii grant you readily
that in Office buildings for cities and in
suburban homes, no country can COM
pare with ours.
However, have only to do with the
work Of the suburban builders as seen in
''the Oranges They have had no mod
els, no traditions to follow For this
very reason, no doubt, they have done so
well. They had to originate because they
had to meet new needs, and conform to
conditions not everywhere found. The
natural ingenuity and self-reliance that
is showing itself in our painters, that
sprang forth full grown al the Chicago
Fair, have long been asserting them
selves in the out-of-town house. They
have had free play too, the freedom from
tradition and precedent, and the Opportu-
uliy OF uDl4uHtCU LlGdu5s IucS AdFO
this advantage yet, and they make the
most of it. and make others rejoice in
their use of it.
In the Oranges" there are some 1900
Of these country homes, and they have
been building constantly for city people
during the last three decades. The little
villages, Orange. South Orange and Vest
Orange, which were the nucleus of the
vast park-like town That bears their
names, are uninteresting. They contain
the butcher shops. groceries, blacksmith
shops, Postoff1ces, etc. on their out
skirts, however, are to be found the few
old houses which were the first products
of suburban architecture. They are
square boxes, larger editions of the ordi-
nary farmhouse 1t is easy to see that
they were built for city people, for while
they are like the old farmhouse in shape
they are decorated. Grade as the orna-
mentation is, ii denotes that fancy as well
as usefulness inspired the builder There
is no mistaking this sign. If there is any
doubt, one has but TO refer back to the
village or farmers houses to see that
these are all made as nearly as possible
like the city houses-even the cruel tone
ment house serving sometimes as
model
A little less ancient than the -four
square" houses are those with verandas.
knowledge OF the South, with reading
ABOUT Lu6 cOuUltlOuS VI tUS pldntoL = ldAA-
lily life, may have suggested this exten-
sion of the ordinary 'front.' porch. 1t
would, perhaps, be nearer home to trace
this advance from the cube through the
New England home of the olden day.
But colonial architecture is the very last
thought of as q model, as l shall show
later on.
AS the piazza developed it began to
creep all around the house, and ''the
Oranges furnish some good examples Of
this in a shabby state of preservation.
Those that were worth the expense had
corners cut off long ago and windows
hung on outside the walls, in imitation Of
the newest neighbor. The piazza, called
in New Jersey the ''piaz, " was the extent
of the growth of the idea of form till the
exposition in Philadelphia in 1876.
In the bringing together there OF the
ideas, forms, pictures and architecture,
of the world, people saw that things
could be done in ways different than
their own, and also that beauty was an
admirable and desirable attribute for all
things. The extravagant and ridiculous
outburst of estheticism that followed, and
which was so largely made up of affecta-
ton and pretense. nevertheless started
men thinking. Our architects saw models
Of English country homes, Italian villas
and French castles, none OF which, in
deed, could serve here, but all of which
EuER6SIEQ 4uH &OA LcW tlI B4SaSAhS
forms. At the same time the rich felt the
impulse to have what the Europeans had.
So demand and supply arose together.
Some of the experiments may be seen
in 1.-THE Oranges" Most of them have
been torn down or changed to conform
TO the sober second thought. But there
are irregular houses of shapeleSS, angular
construction, with big windows in incon-
venient places and little, useless windows
cut all about the walls, peaked roofs be-
side fat ones. big verandas above little
ones, to show how the builder strained
himself and his wits to be fashionable
and odd. He succeeded il his purpose,
and, better still, ia shocking the honest
admirers of good form.
They protested in vain, however, till it
occurred 10 them to build. Then there
was 8 fight in which the houses got the
worst of IL. The sober architect found he
had to satisfy a barbarous owner, and a
tasteful owner had to submit to or COM
Y1ron1lse with an "esthetic" architect.
They produced houses that make one
wonder. l saw several with graceful
portals demoralized by hideous facades
and thus have a pretty row OF windows
overbalanced by q heavy. ugly 70 OF.
some show the struggle that still takes
place at times between the man who
would have his house symmetrical and
she architect who fears monotonys one
IL A1OotA 04dilS . 44<AS VIZ Il - - "
middle, 8 window on each side. three
corresponding to these on the second
floor and then three little triangular
apertures let in at odd points in the front.
The effect may be imagined.
After that transition period only care
ful inquiry would determine the date OF
houses over year old. With the excep-
ton OF the new colonial houses, ali that
one sees in the Oranges are to be divided
only as good or bad. They are Of many
different styles, but all are the results OF