The Washington times., 1916-11-08
Domestic
Architecture
in the East
Climate and Topography of
the Eastern State Has
Proved the Practicability
of Certain Architectural
Types.
BY ELECTUS D. LITCHFIELD.
kTHE most desirable thing about
the country place itself Is that
Il should arouse ones affec-

f<THE most desirable thing about
the country place itself IL that
Il should arouse ones affec-
tion-that as years go on 1t
should more and more become q real
part of ones life. The selection of q site
and the building OF q house are, indeed,
serious matters and not to be entered
upon lightly and without due considera-
ton.
1T 10 the architects function to inter-
pref and express In . house the owners
traditions and aspirations; but both he
ana the owner should remember that
they will achieve the greatest satisfac-
tion when the finished work is exactly
appropriate to its location and to its
use. have scant patience with the
average so-called English half-timbered
house on American soil or. indeed. with
n Connecticut farmhouse in st. Angus
tine. An Italianate villa may be entirely
appropriate for few months sojourn
at playday Newport, but II must be an
unsatisfactory environment for the con-
tinuing existence Of the average Amer
fcap~ business man.
But we are living in a golden age.
Country house architecture in the
East today has reached n high stan
dard of excellence, due to the arrival
OF a great generation of men we'll
trained in architecture and with a
splendid affection for their work, and,
further, to a widely growing appre-
citation on the part Of the public Of
simple good taste and of the import
ance and the possibilities OF the coun-
try home. We have made wonderful
strides in the architecture of our
country houses. The country house
today in the East. as II has been for
generations in England, is more Inn
portant than the one in town. The
building of villas has given way to
the building of homes.
Owing partly to the materials east
ly obtained in the various localities
and partly to the racial influence of
the early settlers. there are interest
lecture of the East. even where It
10 development of our early Amer
lean style.
Out on the main line beyond PhiIa-
Chestnut Hill and up the White
Marsh Valley ledge rock of pleas
ing color breaking easily into rough
ashlar with long horizontal beds is
Of early stone work. of which the
Chew house and the. j Johnson, house
are notable. are at hand to serve as
models. and the Philadelphia archi;-
tects have produced a wealth of truly
houses In this medium. having
character entirely their own.
To the south of Philadelphia are
me me wonderful brick clay, deposits of
burning TO brick OF rich and deep
cherry red: and here we fnd delight
ful brick houses in the character set
~ the early settlers of Delaware and
Throughout New England and Long
island the same thing applies. Long
Island has practically no stone and a
very limited supply Of brick clay. and
in wood. About Boston and New
Haven. where good brick clay abounds.
brick architecture still holds its own,
while through the remainder of New
II have no quarrel with the archi-
tects OF Chicago who would devotion a
new architecture. for they are without
local precedent and should have, IL
anyone has. the right to make the at
tempt; But 1t is vanity OF vanities,
for while there may be something new
under the sun In architecture, true art
Is of slow growth.
The architects OF the East are more
humble in mind. and strive not SO much
to produce a new art an to build in the
spirit OF the twentieth century. on the
foundations laid by the architectural
masters OF the past.
I'VE have entered upon an era Of good
taste. Will we be patient enough to
continue there or will the next decade
see us impatiently rushing on to original
absurdities? We have tried almost every
type and period of foreign art and have
come back home to the styles which
flourished among our American ancee-
tors. God forbid that we leave their
conscientious and orderly DEVELOPMENT
for the styles OF China and Japan
which alone we have left untouched, =
Architectural Record, October