Barbour County index., 1910-11-16

will have the distinction Of being the
first freproof village in the United
States. 1t is the model village being
constructed by the Russell Sage
Foundation Homes Company Gan of
shoot of the Russell Sage Founda-
tion) for the comfort of the clerk and
the mechanic who has difficulty in
finding within his means desirable
quarters In the city.
The traveller along the line of the
Long Island railway may already see
beginnings Of this remarkable COM
munity. Below him, roads stretch
across the small plain that flows be-
tween the track and the deep green
forest IN the middle distance. They
are a little ragged in outline now,
but promise to be lines of beauty
when the borders are sodded and
clipped. Young trees rise from the
irregular shaped spots Of green which
are destined some day to be park
spaces. Close by Italians are busily
engaged in excavating cellars and lay
ing concrete walls. If ones imagina-
ton Is keen enough he can picture the
village, with its attractively designed
brick and stucco walls and red tile
roofs, glowing against the fresh green
of the parking and the forest and the
shimmering smooth-surfaced high
ways.
There has been a great deal of mys-
terry regarding the village. Those
who have had charge of the details of
the plan have been willing to say only
little until their plans were fully ma
tured, owing to the unique character
OF the undertaking. The problem in
volved not only the laying out Of the
tract in such a way as to provide at
once surroundings that would appeal
TO and educate the eye and furnish a
maximum of light and air to living
rooms, but also the study of methods
OF combining the distribution of
space, the design of external walls
and OF building materials in such a
way as to provide ample, conveniently
located and well lighted rooms, sur
rounded by artistically pleasing walls
in flreproof materials. This was to be
done In such a way as to provide the
maximum of quality with the mini
mum Of cost. 1t was essential that
they should do more than meet the
competition OF the ordinary tenement
house. The accommodations should
be illustrations Of what could be done
commercially for the wage Garner in
the groups above the laborer, an in
,centive to others to go and do like
Swise.
The work Of the projectors has now
been carried forward to point where
plans for several of the different types
of buildings have been filed with the
New York City Department of Build
1ngs. While some of these may be
amended in details, they give an i'm
preston Of what the development will
be like. These plans include a rail-
road station, hotel, two and three
family apartment houses, one family
houses and low-priced homes for
workingmen.
The main street Of the village is the
only thoroughfare connecting the pres
ent village of Forest Hills on the
north side Of the railroad embank-
ment with the model village on the
south side. Just east of the bridge
carrying the tracks over the street
viii be the railroad station and the
station square. This square, whose
westerly boundary will be the avenue,
apparently Is to be a civic center. It
ls to have unusual treatment.
The hotel wifi front on the square
and face the station. It will be in
four parts, the central section Of the
main group being an octagonal tower
eight stories In height and topped with
q tiled dome. The entire building
will be irregular in shape, the main
roof line being an obtuse angle to
conform to the angle Of the square
and a street leading from It toward
the southeast. The tower will stand
in the angle. The wing extending
along the station square will be 110.6
feet long and FIVE stories high, while
the other wing will be 70.6 feet long
and three stories in height. Along the
front will be an arcade with fiattened
and elliptical arches, harmonizing In
curve with those carrying the passages
over the streets. Fronting on the
arcades behind the arches are to be
stores. The ground floors OF all the
buildings surrounding the square ap-
parently will be designed for use as
business places. With these orna-
mental arches In front Of them It
would appear that there will be little
opportunity for display signs. A vii
iage square without obtrusive and in
artistic signs viii be a novelty.
The northerly wing. fronting on the
square, will contain four stores, 81
rooms and seventeen baths, according
TO the plans. On the level of the sec
ond floor and over the arcade there
is to be an open-air promenade 60
feet long and 20 feet wide. Along the
front Of this win be a pergola with
latticed columns. One would imagine
from the design that the young city
clerk who chanced to have q room
here would have delightful spot to
sit over his cigar in the evening, look
ing down into the cheerful, almost