The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-11-22

correct view. 1t Is e4aclly nalI
mile from the junction Of Water
street and Madison avenue. One gets
the idea that Neil Hill Is more dis
tant because of the fact that 1t Is in
the edge Of the open country. This
latter circumstance is a distinct ad-
vantage. One can walk immediately
into the open field, pasture, wood lot
and forest area. an attraction which
appeals to most of us In these busy
days. The size of the lot, six by six
teen rods, Is almost enough for a
small farm. It permits ample gar
den space with room also for fruit
trees of which there are quite vari-
ETY. now in bearing Including two
maple trees already mentioned, there
are white birch, maple, poplar and
elm to the number OF twenty-four IN
all.
All of the above is preliminary to
the most important subject, the house
itself This is a two and half story
structure. Counting the basement
there are really five floors. Or
course the basement is chiefly used
for the heating plant, fuel and vege-
table storage. In one corner Is
cold room for the better preservation
of fruits. canned goods, etc. There
Is an installation OF laundry tubs also
uear the basement windows on the
east side.
The first floor is divided into a
music room, living room, hallway,
| dining room, kitchen, pantry and
ironing room. There is shed at
the rear opening onto the back porch.
A wide covered veranda extends
across the front of the house. In
the living room Is an ingle-nook,
feature not usual to homes in this
locality. There are two fireplaces,
one part of the ingle-nook just men
toned, the other on the second floor
The kitchen has a slate sink with
slate sideboard. The pantry has
refrigerator so arranged that ice,
milk and other supplies can be put In
from out doors, a very desirable fea-
ture. There are two stairways, one
ascending out of the front hall and
one out OF passage between the hall
way and kitchen. There are toilets on
both the first and second floors.
The second floor has four sleeping
chambers. bath room and linen
room. Ample closet room Is pro-
vided, the guest room and owners
room having two closets each and the
other rooms one. The linen room
has an unusual array Of doored-in
shelving for the storage OF linen and
other household supplies
A single stairway leads to the third
floor. Here are two sleeping cham
bers, one looking out towardsthe west
and the other down upon the Kenne-
bee River and the view beyond. On
the same floor is large area into
which the stairway arrives which
could in emergency be used as sleep
ing quarters. Above these rooms
Just mentioned is an attic Trough fin
ish) which provides splendid storage
facilities.
The total area, including basement.
first, second and third floors and attic
Is $3.50 square feet. OF this 1852
square feet (basement) is concrete.
Excluding the basement just referred
to and the rough finished attic on the
fourth floor, practically everything
else Is hard wood flooring. The only
exception Is one small room on the
third door
Something further should be said
about the construction. We realized
that the winters in Maine were fairly
severe and were strongly impressed
with the need OF protection against
cold. In this we did not foresee that
the same plans would protect against
heat as is hereafter described. OF
course great pains were taken with
the foundation; 1t goes down to ledge
at every point The rest of the
house was Thoroughly put together
and In addition to the usual defences
against wind and temperature, back
plastering was put in. This Is done,
after the outside boarding, sheathing
paper and clapboards are put on.
Workmen go inside and put support
ing strips on the inside of the wall
boards. Lathes are put onto the
strips and plaster Is then applied,
spreading over the 1athes between the
studding which seals everything up
as as tight as box. Lathes are
then put on the inside Of the studding
coating of plaster applied. This
method makes 1t about as frost proof
as a potato warehouse. house
thus built, we'll protected with double
windows is mighty near independent
OF outside temperature. | later
learned that this construction was
just as valuable in the summer. 1t
Is easy enough by opening the win
dows at night and closing them for
the day in the morning. to keep the
inside temperature twenty degrees
below the outside In the hot Summer
weather. 1t is very agreeable indeed
when the thermometer is from ninety
to one hundred in the shade to walk
into your home and find the tempera-
ture not more than seventy or eighty.
Slightly removed from the house is
a garage. originally built for stable
3lx35 feet. There Is ample floor
space for three cars and in the second
story, storage INTO which could be put
all OF the furniture from moderate