The Minneapolis journal., 1905-07-15
IT HERE is growing a marked archi-
tectural revolt against the nm

IT HERE is growing a marked archi-
i tectural revolt against the un-
slightly and neglected rears Of
houses: Especially strong is the objec-
tlon OF men who think for themselves
instead Of accepting without question
with the houses set on the front Of it
or extending lengthways on it. The
great objection to the narrow, deep
house is that its windows are at the
sides where, unless the lots are very
wide, they look into those Of the neigh
bors and have their light partly cut off.
Putting the house to the front throws
all the land to the rear, where it is
rarely used advantageously.
Robert Spencer, Jr., in a series Of
articles on planning the House, in
The House Beautiful, is pointing out
various common mistakes in building.
In the July number he discusses fThe
Abolition Of the Backyard. In this
he says:
The term back yard is an Amer
icanism, and so is the nondescript por-
tion Of the average home grounds
which it characterizes. Every reader
of these pages may, if he has still to
build, abolish for himself this makeshift
of home planning, and at the same time
point the way for others, in building a
house good TO- behold from all sides,
with no unsightliness about it. The
back yard will be, instead, the gar
den,' with walled inclosure or with
hedge and trellis to close it in, accord
ing to his purse. The front yard will
no longer be common open ground, but
thick-set hedge, or masses Of tall
shrubbery, with perhaps low wall for
vines to Chamber over, will give it the
needed degree Of privacy and indi-
viduality.
"In a small place the question natu-
rally arises, Where shall we dry our
clothes7 A small space will answer for
clothes, screened of by trelIs of
rough stained wood overgrown with
grape-vines. The accompanying photo
graph shows how this may be done.
| GA driveway is unquestionably q
convenience in handling fuel, ashes, and
garbage, but is far from being neces
sity.. The inconvenience and extra ex
pense due to its omission, are many
times offset in these very small places
by the privacy and beauty attainablt
in their gardens, which, like all goot
things, have their price. The price il
of every householder.
'The service drive need not be omit
! ted, however, in order that houses ma.
be built and grounds improved as her
advocated, If adjoining neighbors &C
operate in making a single commo
driveway between houses take tn
place Of two. Such common drive
would, of course, terminate in tur
Of small radius between the buildings
the center planted with mass O
Towering shrubs. Two of my neigh
bors have built such driveway i
, common-the center Of the turn plant
ed simply with luxuriant mass Q
golden elder. Of course, with a front
age of seventy-fve feet or more, ther
is room enough for q private driveway
A small place will appear larger
t walks and paths are kept toward tn
t boundaries rather than on center Q
axial ines.'
= The same number Of the magazin
o considers another phase Of this que
t tion as follows:
$ "Why should kitchens be built q
4 the back of the house, asks a conten
i porary, where the grass is trimme
: down and brooms accumulated VIII
d have a~back of the house, anyway, il
. stead of two fronts, equally respected
2 The writer recalls, in Georgia, Ion
brick house, with three front door
one of them the kitchen door. You coul
look straight thru the house in pleasan
weather, because there were three othe
q doors facing the ones that looked owe
the bay. The rose that was traine
over the drawing room ran along t
the kitchen and peeped in at the dea
old nanny who sang there. To ba
! ance things, the peach tree, that WE
n trained, English fashion, on the sum
wall Of the kitchen, extended its plia1