New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-04
THE AMERICAN SCENE:
PRESENT AND PAST
American Homes Past and Presen-East South and West
Beautiful Gardens-Remodelled Farmhouses-Pct-
uresque New York and Its Stored Places
HERE AND THERE.

HERE AND THERE.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF COLONIAL AMERICA
b. Harold Donaldson Eherisil. Illustrated td9m
photographs. svo. pp. VII. 2Ss Boston. Li'ise.
Brown Co
REMODELLED FARMH0UsEs. By MAJ X
Norhend. VIII numerous ILLUSTRATIONS s'o' pp
xiv 264 Boston. Little Brown Go.
STATELY HOMES OF CALIFORNIA By Porter
Garnett. Introduction By Bruce Portei ilns-
triied $40. % XIX. IS. Boston Latte. Brown
OLD ROADS FROM THE HEART or NEW
YORK Journeys To-day By WAYS OF fessrday
By sarah ComstOck With 100 illustrations. sSo
% xiv. iol. @ Z Putnsm's Sons
BEAUTIFUL GARDENs IN AMERICA. By Loas.
shelton With ! fun page colot rcprotaetices
and 10 photographs. sso Charles scnonef'
Sons
Many tones have been written on
the subject Of our Colonial architect
ure; its best examples have been made
known TO US in elaborate illustrations;
il lives around Us in the adroit use
made Of Is beauty and dignity BY con-
temporary architects; it is topic
whose interest is ineIhaustible. Dir
Eberlein's book is not merely still an
other volume on the subject. II is
complete study Of the art In all It's
changing forms and transmutations as
il evolved locally in New England. New
York and Dutch New Jersey, the Mid
die States and the South. This is a
book Of differentiations. Of nuances
even, tracing, also, the influence Of time
and place and social and economic con-
ditions upon the arrangement and the
development of the home. A book Tor
architects, but. above all. book for
the lsyman who takes an intelligent
interest in one Of the great artistic
heritages of his country. Mr.. Eber-
lein ends his book with a consideration
of the classic influence which came to
US from France. and which was so much
more successful in our public than In
our private buildings. And he adds q
final chapter on American architects.
An informing book, pleasantly written.
and. of course, filled with pictures that
alone make it's possession worth while.
What has been done, what can be
done by a good architect with an old
farmhouse is illustrated by concrete in
stances-twenty of them-in Miss
Northend's book The possibilities are
endless, especially where the basis OF
transformation Is sound Colonial
structure. In fact, looking at some OF
the pictures in this volume one Won
ders that anything so simple as q
farmhouse has furnished the founda-
ton for these elaborate and beautiful
country residences. OF course. when
once one has restored or remodelled
according to period, the next step Is
furnishings and furniture in keeping.
Thus the interiors here shown sug-
gest the hunt for the antique-Heppie-
white and Sheraton and Chlppendaie,
William and Mary escritoires, four-post
bedsteads, all the delights OF beauti-
full possessions in keeping with the
house. This, too, is one OF those en-
ticing volumes whose illustrations in
evitably compel 10 reading OF the ro-
mantle text. For can there be bet
ter, more enduring romance than that
of making the past live anew IN the
present in ones most intimate environ
ment?
No greater contrast 10 Colonial and
Georgian architecture could possibly be
found than that illustrated in Mr.. Gar
nett's book. In California Nature bids
the architect to do her bidding. These
descriptions are, therefore, first OF all,
devoted TO the parks and gardens IN
which these stately homes are built:
As for their style, there is little OF
everything-a hint of the missions,
great deal of the Spain OF the Moors,
considerable borrowing from classic
Greece and Rome, with here and there
an example Of Elizabethsn and, OF
course. the omnipresent Renaissance.
On the whole, these houses are adapted
TO their environment, TO vegetation ana
sunshine and blue sky-whence the use
OF colors and tints on outer walls
California is evolving an architecture
of its own, but thus far it has BEEN
one believes. more successful IN the
building Of simpler residences than III
the palaces here depicted.
Sarah Comstock's book should be in
the hands of every New Yorker VINO
loves New York. It's itineraries within
a radius of thirty miles around the
CITY will reveal to them wealth OF
historic interest for outings innum-
cradle. We all know the Van Cort-
landt house, Of course. and the Phil
inse Manor house. the Jumel mansion
and Fraunces's Tavern, the City Hall,
the Poe cottage how many Of US
have ever visited the Billop house, the
Perrine homestead, the Garibaldi
house under its protective roof, or the
original Vanderbilt homestead on Stat
en- Island! Where is the old Letferts
homestead? And where did Baron
Steuben entertain George Washington !
Did YOU know that the Stone House IN
which Andre was imprisoned at Tappsn
is still in existence? Have you seen
the Featherstone House, where Wash.
ington and Rochambeau conferred, and
where the British guide hid in the