The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
MISTAKES In HOUSE BUILDING
ARCHITECTS SOMETIMES LET
0UEER ERRORS CREEP IN.


On one OF the hills Of Westchester there
IL slowing rising a structure OF mysterious
and unusual ugliness. IL IL TOUR stories
high and is surmounted on one END py d
square superstructure which looks IKE an
enormous red brick packing box. viewed
from the front his building has all the
graceful lines and picturesque beauty OF d
canal boat. Its lateral view looks IKE u
section Of a cigar factory on Avenue a. is
purpose il not in the least suggested oy ls
anpearance. II Ia a WINNER residence
The owner Of this house designed II MN
self There could be no doubt OF mat
after one view. A child might have de-
signed IL on a slate at school, since It's pro-
portions are exactly Of the kind hat youth
full scholars draw will n slate penci anu
write under it a House. IL would ciear
nm matters II the owner should paint on
one OF its red brick wallis "A House
.Tve rot An architect he said the other
dav sOf course I have. He has an ONCE
.omevhere on Fifth avenue, can't recall
! the number now for | never go near him.
.And let me tell you, young man. ne
added emphatically. that Ia the only
wav 20 have an architect. Forget MS num-
her and don't go near him at any rate
until your house is built
SnoL a. the advice Of the man who Ia
preiudiced against the profession n mas
nut nm the loft building on the hilltop as
he everlasting protest against the architect.
A renorter tried to find out what the archi-
tect might have o to lose FAVOR
.Iu tell YOU what an architect did to me-
.o,d a wonan who must weigh 250 in spite
a, her shortness. "and you can understand
xbv I shouId he pretudiced against them.
wanted INV house quilt with O broad room
on the second floor. They saio I couio
have that although II mignt mnao !" a ,Sera
was only a certain space on which 70 ouiIo.
I aid not object to that and the men went
to work on that understanding;
Il WAS too stout to go " aIouno
climbing I'D and down on ladders, put my
daughter watched the progress Of the house.
She is slight and spry, and could OF course
20 about any where without difficulty. Inc
house was finished in fact before went INTO
il, having come back from Europe just the
day after II was finally furnished.
d.Why in the world are those stairs so
steep2'I asked Of my daughter.
@'Oh. that's on account OF the large draw
ing ROOM she said. They're all right
FWell, I got up them with difficulty. II
was like walking up the siae 9. u mouss
| experienced when I started to come down.;
stopped myself with horror and looked
over the precipice they had built: With my
size IL would have been impossible to have
got TO the bottom. Tho steps looked
like little shelves about two inches VIDE;
ran to the telephone and the architect nad
somebody there within an hour:
-'You see how impossible " 49,. j SAID.
Nothing could induce me TO take my lie In
my hands by trying to go down those steps,
You will have to change them or realize that
you nave made me a prisoner Tor me on the
second story. would not try those steps
for anything
He said II had been expressly under:
stood that the stairs were to be narrow and
steep for the sake of more room on the second
floor u never could have been understood
about any stairs, however, that they were
to be too steep for the oma who owned
them to go up and down. The carpenters
arrived the next day and began TO change
the angle. They worke Tor three weeks
putting In the new stairs. Then ] had to
paw an extra $500 for the changes that made
IL possible for me to use my stairway
There was another man with a story
Of his architectural experiences to d
TO this. He had ord cred from a firm of
architects a country house. The owner
went away and did not zoe the house from
the time tho walls were up until he returned
to find II completed. The architects and
he had their communication over the plans.
which had proved very satisfactory.
-You may imagine the delight with
which I hurried out to the house when
got back from the West he said. SIN
addition to my wife. our party included