The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-07-02
HOME MOVEMENT
fIAFBflS. ~
IN MINNESOTA
For the Bsautifying Of Dwell
ing Houses.
A FRUITFUL PROPAGANDA.
~

Tho Director Of State Art Commission
Ready to Supply Models For Farm
houses, Small Village Homes and
L Landscape Designs ugly Houses
Disappearing.
Because OF the conviction that the
state should render service to the PEG
pie the director of the state art com
mission of Minnesota. Maurice Irwin
Flagg, is ready to supply models for
farlnhouses, small village homes and
landscape designs. The purpose is to
beautify the dwelling places of the
people. and consequently the entire
state can develop Mt the same time
ambition and the love of the beautiful
IN the minds OF men with small in
comes,
The general adoption of the designs,
which are furnished practically free,
may eventually result in the wiping
out of al Of the ugly shoe box de.
signs that are so plentifully sprinkled
over the landscape. Minnesota is n
|wealthy state. and it is growing more
ESQ because the farmers therc are max
,ing three blades of alfalfa grow where
zone grew before, They are buying the
latest farm machinery; they are bend
aing every effort TO conserve the natural
iresources of the country, and they are
learning how To take from the soil
1.-THE greatest possible return.
I While all this HRS been going on tile
physical character of the homes. has
been neglected. Mr.. FlasS says In the
sSGrwey:3s Aya y ~ @ u
(, 'Pract!calfarmc1s stated their needs.
and it remained for the architects OF
the state to solve the problem OF 4 3d.
800 ten room model failnhehse The
state art commission offered prizes. 1t
brought together d jufys-composed Of
a practical farmer Senator l.. l.. Pot
ter OF Springfcld Mrs. Margaret L.
Blair. n specialist in the department Of
domestic science and home manage
ment of the University of Minnesota;
Dem A. f. Woods of the Agricultural
college OF that state. and George Chap
man. an architect"
Thirty farmhouse designs resulted
from the competition. so much sue
cess met this work that there followed
a 'model village house" competition.
The houses were not to cost more than
$4,000 each. Fifty plans We're submit
ted. Then came competitions for a
"model farm yard" Any one in Min
nesota can get these plans at a very
small cost, and all others they may get
by paying good deal more for them.
Mr. Flagg says:
"This program In Minnesota has
stimulated other states to action. Mas
sncDusctts has just completed, through
the Agricultural college of Amherst, a
model farmhouse program. Califor-
MIA, Kentucky, Texas, Indiana and
many other states, have appealed to
Minnesota for assistance in formulate
ing programs of the same character
The model farmhouse plans have also
gone to several foreign countries. Ger
many, Italy France and Canada have
published the results of the Minnesota
competition for the benefit Of their ag-
ricultural people.
This better housing program is sup
Elementary to the other work of the
commission. 1t sends to towns aud
cities throughout the state exhibitions
of all kinds. 1t brings into the state
each year a collection of the best
American contemporary art. 1t circu-
Iates exhibits of industrial art, sculp-
ture, home furnishings, home indus
tries and school art. 1t organizes home
industries and handicraft classes and
puts into the field specialists to teach
such work. And it has been success
full in finding a market for its prod
uct."