The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-08-30
EDIsoN's CEMENT HOUSES
Authorized Details of the Coming
One-Family Concrete Residence.

One-Family Concrete Residence.
Much newspaper comment and ex-
pert discussion regarding Edison's
poured concrete house" has been in
dulged in for over year, most of it
based on fragmentary information.
The Concrete World furnishes the
needed details in an authorized in
terview with the wizard of MEMO
Park" 1t is a full and complete
story of the invention with details.
specifications, ornamentation, method
of construction and estimated cost,
The following general facts. shorn of
technical details, are taken from the
account.
The most frequent objection, or
criticism, offered was the apparent
impracticability of pouring concrete
into an intricate set of molds and Sc
curing a surface throughout that
would be free from inperfections."
1T will clog" lit will not flow" were
expressions heard on all sides. Then
objections were offered on artistic
grounds. Imagine a city of houses,
every one of which was like all the
others. 1t is preposterousl was said.
Mr.. Edison has answered all these
objections to the full satisfaction Of
the most critical Here are the i'm
portant facts about the poured houses
which will be spoken OF more in de
tail further on:
He has produced a mixture OF a
consistency almost like water, which
CT m TO- In.
pension, allows the mixture to flow
freely to all parts of the molds and
secures a uniform distribution of the
aggregates throughout the mass.
The molds are adapted to variations
of arrangement thus making it pos
sible to change the style of houses
with the same set of molds. With
five or six sets of molds, therefore, a
wide variety of style possible
The model plan exhibited by Mr.
Edison is for one family, with a floor
plan 25X30 feet Ii is intended to be
built on lots 4Ox60 feet, giving lawn
and small garden room.
The front porch extends feet and
the back porch feet.
On the first floor is a large front
room, 14x23 and 919 feet high, intend
ed as living room, and a kitchen in
the back l4x2O and 91s feet high. In
the corner of the front room is wide
staircase leading TO the second floor
This contains two large bedrooms,
wide hall and roomy bathroom,
719 by ~ and 8 feet 2 inches high.
The third floor has two large rooms.
Each room has large windows, so
that there is an abundance of light
and fresh air
The cellar feet inches high. ex-
tends under the whole house and will
contain the boiler. wash tubs and coal
bunker The main room, as well as
the outside of the house, will be rich
ly decorated.
The decorations will be cast with
the house and will therefore be a
part Of the structure and not stuck on
basis done at the present time.
1t is an important fact about this
house that it will be entirely of re-
enforced concrete. including the roof,
floors, bath and laundry tubs.
The doors and window frames will
be the only parts of wood or metal, so
it will be practically freproof The
mixture composing it Is both water
proof and vermin-proot.
The inside walls stairs and parti-
tions will be concrete also, and no
plaster will be used The surface left
by the molds will be perfectly smooth
and can be painted or tinted IL de
sired
Now we come more to the details of
tntNn 81 t..s, ia
cast-iron molds will be used, set up
on a concrete foundation or footing.
Some time before the molds are set
up this footing and the basement
floor will be placed in order that they
may be thoroughly set before tne
molds are erected.
The molds will be placed on this
footing, and the cast house will in
clude the basement walls. Regula-
ton reinforcing rods can be used in
the molds. The stack for the bath
room and all gas pipes will be placed
at the time the molds are set up.
Mr. Edison allows four days for the
erection of the molds. For tais house
several hundred pieces will be re-
quired. Each will be fitted to be as
sembled with the others and locked
readily.
The time necessary for the pour
ing of the liquid he says will be only
six hours. Four days after the pour.
ing the dismautling can be done. Six
more days are allowed for the harden
ing of the concrete.
The inventor thus makes fourteen
days as the time necessary for the
of house.
This time may be reduced under
specially favorable weather condl
tons
1t Is estimated that with six sets OF
molds 144 houses can be built in
year. AS the same forms are used
minimum Concrete residences at
the present time and under the condi-
tons that require the use OF wood for
forms are prohibitive on account of
the expense for lumber.
All the decorations and ornaments
will be cast with the house, and in
every case will be part of the wall
which it adorns; in fact, the entire
house will be in one piece, as If hewn
or carved out of a solid piece of
stone. The cost of the houses, 1920.
Mr. Edison says, includes heating and
plumbing and a structure ready for
occupancy. Iie lays special emphasis
on the fact that his price is based on
the building OF houses in large num-
bers where materials can be pur-
chased in large quantities and where
the gravel excavated on the site can
be used in the mixture.
comnIete SET of molds will cost