The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-01-17


Foundation Homes Company ian or
shoot Of the Russell Sage Founda-
tom 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-
t-een 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 magma
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
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 q
way as to provide ample, conveniently
located and we'll lighted rooms. sur
rounded by artistically pleasing walls
In fireproof 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
centiye to others to go and do like
wise.
The work of tho 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
ings. 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, a hotel. two and three
J family apartment houses, one family
houses and low-priced homes fol
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 th'
south side. Just east Of the bridge
CARRYING the tracks over the stree
will be the railroad station and thu
station square. This square, who's
westerly boundary will be the avenue
apparently is to be a civic center. l
is to have unusual treatment.
The hotel will front on the SQUARE
and face the station 1t will be il
four parts, the central section OF tn
main group being an octagonal towe
eight stories in height and topped witt
a tiled dome. The entire building
will be irregular in shape. the mail
roof line being an obtuse angle t
conform to the angle of the squar
and street leading from it towar
the southeast. The tower will stan
in the angle. The wing extending
along the station square will be 10.
feet long and five stories high, Will
the other wing will be 706 feet Ion
and three stories in height. Along tn
front will be an arcade with fiattene
and ellirtical arches, harmonizing /
curve with those carrying the passage
, over the streets. Fronting on tn
arcades behind the arches are to b
stores. The ground floors of all tn
buildings surrounding the square al
parently will be designed for use a
business places. With these orn;
mental arches in front Of them
would appear that there will be littl
opportunity for display signs. vi
lage square without obtrusive and il
artistic signs will be novelty.
The northerly wing, fronting on tn
Y square, will contain four stores.
rooms and seventeen baths, accordin
{ to the plans. On the level of the Sc
! ond floor and over the arcade Their
is to be an open-air promenade
l. feet long and 20 feet wide. Along tn
front of this will be pergola wit
latticed columns. One would imagin
from the design that the young cit
clerk who CHANGED to have a roo
here would have a delightful spot
> sit over his cigar in the evening. loo
ing down into the cheerful. almo
y European square. Perhaps there wi
% be little tables. and he can have IL
u cream or lemon squash while liste
10 ing tn the splash of the fountain ar