The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-06-28
.Elsl',I,J KIND OF [, q. HOUSE,
Minneapolis Man Has asPatent on.
II Unique Plan OF Com 5.s @ &
n. s4G struction. c

A house in process of erection at the
southeast corner OF Portland avenue and
Thirty-fourth street is the mecca of
house seekers and house builders these
days, says the Minneapolis Journal.
On Sundays sometimes as many as 40
from town and St. Paul visit the place.:
and on ordinary days an average OF thir-
ty are drawn by curiosity to visit the
building. The builder Of this house
claims for it's style construction used in
its erection. the following advantages:
Saving Of 40 per cent. in the original
cost. saving of 80 per cent. in repairs,
saving in labor, saving of 80 per cent. in
fuel, and absolute proof against rats,
mice and vermin, and great rigidlty, or
6rmness Of the floors.
This particular dwelling, which is be.
ing erected for Fred Bintlinff, is after a
patent obtained March ~, 1901, by +. c:
Penney, the W~ell-knOWn builder and real
estate man in Minneapolis for the last
thirty-three years, who has plated seven
teen additions.
The patent calls for a plank construc-
ton with slip joint window and door
frames. and an entire absence Of stud
ding, lathing and plastering. Its general
idea is an improvement in wooden build
ing construction and has been evolved
from years of study.
0US1 va q Aou III q UdIA "c1C put
up for John Babcock at 127 Xerxes ave-
nue. near keegan's lake, made of plank
as sort of a feeler. The plan met with
a good deal Of opposition from others as
being insecure and liable to fall, but a
building Inspector IS said to have reported
that if all houses were as strong it would
be we'll. Now the foundations are being
prepared for twelve of these houses in St.
Paul and twenty-five in Minneapolis, and
inquiries have come in from seventeen
different states concerning the new pat
ent. MI. Penney has stopped taking con-
tracts for this year because he wishes to
form companies in other states for push
ing the plan. He. is personally superin-
tending the Bintliff house, but generally
sells the royalties instead of putting them
up himself. The lumber can be cut out
in two days and almost n ordinary car
penter can do the rest.
The planks used in this construction
are 2xS, before dressing. They are placed
edge to edge with tongue and groove
joint and lock corners, something after
that used in lock corner boxes.
A Double Wall.
Between the outside wall of planking
and the inside is a two-inch air space.
The joints are not broken. but CORE
sponded exactly so that the load will be
and the fact that the walls are not nailed
to studding, but held with iron staples,
whether the material shrinks or swells
the joints become tighter and the build
ing more secure. The planking is beaded
at the joint and in the middle, which
makes a very fine appearance and avoids
the cracking and drawing of joints seen
in clapboard siding. The corners in this
house are of heavy colonial style and a
large colonial porch is built in front.
The air space affords ventilation
through the attic and skylight. Each
room; unfinished, looks like an exagger-
ated box; Government experts lave made
tests of boxes made in this way and pro-
nounce them absolutely frost proof. This
is further evidenced by the fact that the
Babcock house of eight rooms was thor
oughly heated last winter by means of
coal stove and drum with only two tons
Of coal.
The ceilings may be Of metal or ada.
there is little danger of its falling from
jar of the floor above as in the ordinary
balloon-frame. The windows are single
sashes. which push up the entire length
into the air space between the plank
walls, resulting in a very soft fine finish.
Of other buildings except that there is
a greater cave projection and a pagoda-
like curve in this one case.
A home will be erected for J. J. Dob
byn at Irving venue and Thirty-frst
street, 36x32, of Washington fir with no
parquet floors will! be put in, metal cell
ings, crate, mantel and sideboard. To H.
!ustrate the saving in this style of build
ing it may be said that in this case it is
claimed that in addition to the fact that
practically no repairs will be required.
the house which ordinarily would cost
$500 will be built for $500. The foun-