Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-11-06

n As this Is such q broad subject am
going to modify It somewhat by con-
hping my discussion entirely to the
southern rural homes. Some one
has truly said that we measure the
civilization of q people by the homes
they build. The cultured people Of
the old South showed both refine
ment and high stage of civilization
BY their classic homes. The old ante
: bellum and colonial homes scattered
through the Southland have been a
theme for both song and legend, and
have lent their enchantment as 1T
ting background to many o beauti-
ful romance. In these old homes
We're fostered all that is beautiful,
chivalrous. and noble. but with the
passing of7sthese old houses the old
order of things has passed. away for
ever. We of the new South have al
ready begun to adjust ourselves to. a
new civilization that will far surpass
that OF our ,forefathers. The old CO.
lonial houses were the exception
rather than the rules The great MAJ
jority OF the homes were the old
fashioned plantation houses usually
two stories high with wing and two
to. four rooms upstairs, with wide
hall both upstairs and down. These
$old houses usually had a wide porch
running the full length Of the house.
were usually low and the windows
small. A great many of these houses
were built of logs, weatherboarded
on the outside and plastered on the
inside. The real essence of these old
homes was their surroundings Most
of them sat upon hill or promon-
tory, and were shaded with live oak, i,
magnolias, icedars, Spanish mulberry,
umbrella China berry trees, and a
number of species of oaks and hicko-
ries. Most of them contained large
front yards surrounded by picket
fence, separated from large back
yard which was fenced in in the same
manner These fences were usually
whitewashed during the early spring,
and In these front yards grew many
shrubs and annual blooming flowers.
The most prominent flowers were the
narcissus, jonquils, roses and violets.
The crepe myrtle was everywhere in
evidence. The front. yard was usv-
ally divided by very broad brick
walks running from the steps to the
front gate, which was located direct
iy in front of the house. The annual
flowers usually grew in beds of diff
ferent geometrical shapes, and these
beds we're very often bordered by
bottles or by diamond-shaped bricks.
The walks and the beds, and most of
the space not occupied by flowers
were kept free from weeds and grass
and were swept once or twice week.
While these old places were not
beautiful according to modern taste,
yet they had home-like appearance.
Most Of these old houses were heated
by large fireplaces, and there was alb
. soluteiy no provision made for venti-
lation, except throug gh the small win
dows.
y The architecture of these houses
was such that 1t did not permit the
Kitchen to be attached to the house.
Most OF. the kitchens were built some
distance from the house.
Many Of these old houses can be
made beautiful by moderDizing them,
and it should be the province of our
Institutes to be able to give informa-
tfon of this kind. These old houses.
by few inexpensive changes, can be
made both comfortable and attrac-
tive. One should begin on the out
side by cutting vistas through the
woods and by building q good road
up to the house. The high fences
can be done away with, so can the
flower beds and the straight walks.
Instead Of the high fences, If a fence
is needed at all, wire fence will an
swer. The yard, instead of being
broken UP like q checkerboard with
walks and flower beds can be sown
down in grass. We have many
grasses that grow luxuriantly in the
South. If. the yard is not too shady
Bermuda grass makes O beautiful
lawn, also Italian rye grass and Tex
as bluegrass. II the yard is shaded,
with little care Kentucky bluegrass
The EnOCk.OuG BIOw.