New-York tribune., 1903-03-08
ENGLISH BASEMENT HOUSES.
The Distinction Between This Type and the
American Basement Dwelling House.

The recent publication in The Tribune of ad-
vertsements OF English basement houses. as dis
tlnct from American" basement houses, has ere
ated 10 little discussion among architects anu
builders as to the difference between the two types
of houses. The English kind is familiar In Bos-
ton. Philadelphia and Baltimore. and is, with uh-
important notifications. the typical city mousse
throughout England. The American basement
house is peculiar to NewYOrk. and nearly 80 per
cent. Of the new dwelling houses built III TINS city
in years by speculative builders arc OIL lh's
type. There is floor in this type which can De
thrown open entirely for entertainment Inc u!h-
ing room, foyer and salon Oh the same hoor'
but the library is above the salon. and on the moor
with the sleeping rooms. The kitchen and laundry
the entrance floor, thus occupying one OF lle
most important parts of the house.
In the English basement house the basement Is
exclusively occupied by the kitchen. laundry and
servants hall The first story is raised three OF
four steps above the curb and Is occupied py the
reception room and dining Above this floor
are the salon, staircase hall and library while the
third floor contains the masters apartments. rms
arrangement 1t will readily be seen, lends itself
more advanta geously TO entertainments and aHordS
likewise more privacy.
THE American basement dwelling house, SAID a
prominent architect to Tribune reporter yestHr-
day was evolved from the old-faslIoned high
stoop house and is the only successful economical
alteration OF this type of house without changing
the level Of the 1oors Builders took their cue from
such alterations, and, because of the economy i'll
excavating adopted and pOpularizCd the so-callcd
American basement house. The American base
ment first became popular the upper West Side'
where the people do not entertain much, and where
economy in running the house, from the point CT
view of heating servants, etc is to be considered
In the American basement the kitchen Is placed on
the entrance floor, occupying space which in any
intelligently planned house of twenty-five feet or
more in width should be given to the dining room
The place for the Kitchen servants hall and lauH-
dry is in the basement, and not the first floor
There is one excuse for the American basement
house, and that is, where the lot Is very narrow
say seventeen feet and it is desired to get large
room in the front OF the house In that event. the
entrance must be underneath this room, but even
then, the more attractive house would be the Eng
lish basement emitting the reception room from
the first floor gnd receiving i'll the salon, on tHe
second floor, as is the custom IN many EngllSn
houses. The American basement has one less room
is a more economical house to build and a more
economical house to maintain. The successIui
builders of the upper West Side, having exhausted
the available land, turned their attention 10 the
east side Of the Park and brought with them the
type of house which they had sold on the west
Side
''Tt is a curious fact that aside from altered
houses, no one who has built his own house on the
built American basement house. With the eT-
ception of the Farley houses, builders have not
built anything except American basement houses
There are two three blocks of houses built some
time ago. which OF the English type They stand
out old advance guard. One OF these BLOCKS
is composed Of of the most attractive houses
in the city; II is between Fifty-seySnth ana FlLty
eighth SITS, the east side of Fifth-aVe. Another
block of English basement houses Is between
Eighty-fourth and Eighty-ffth sts., on the east
side Of Fifth-ave.