Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-10
HOME IN VIRGINIA
Of QUAINT STYLE
,OId-Fashioned Picket Fence
Lends Air of Former Days
to Pretty House.

Two thoughts were uppermost in
the planning and construction OF
The Star model home built at Lee
Heights, Va, by Ruby Lee Minar.
At the outset Ward Brown. the archi-
tect, thought it particularly fitting
that the Virginia model house erected
under the auspices of The star
should be typical of the old Virginia
country homes, many OF which are
still standing today. AS the Virginia
house was to be small dwelling OF
only six rooms. the architect worked
out a design which might be almost
a replica of some OF the quaint old
homes to be found in the interior Sec
tions of the Old Dominion today.
His ideas have been carried ont and
embeIlished in the landscaplnE Dy
Miss Rose Greedy. The old-fashioned
white picket fence inclosing private
lawn, the vines, shrubs and flowers
along the fence, the fruit and shade
trees all assist in sustaining the at
mosphere of former days.
Having settled the design and the
tandscaping, those having the prof.
ect i'm charge made the further de-
cision that the house should be built
with all the sturdiness that is gem
orally attributed to the construction
Ola century or more ago. In conse-
quence one finds extra bracing, tim
bers of extra number and size and
other construction features, giving
assurance that the house will be
stanch and enduring.
Cellar Is DampproOf.
Specifications We're set down by the
architect of a sort designed to make
the Virginia house model home"
Nva fo in mama Aftpn-
ton was paid to little features of con-
struction which frequently are neg
lected to the final detriment Of q
house. In nearly every section of
the country there is, a high percent
age OF homes having wet or damp
cellars when little foresight and a
small extra expense will guard against
this annoyance effectually. The Vir'
Ginia house has outside drainage, as
well as inside drainage, to insure that
the cellar shall be dry at all times.
The outside drainage was taken care
of when the foundation was laid.
The excavation for the founda.
ton was made nearly a foot wider
than the house itself. Then, before
filling in around the walls, a 6-inch
drain tile was laid continuously
around the outside of the walls at
their base. The trench was filled to
within two feet of the top with Gin.
ders. The balance Of the excavation
was filled with earth well tamped and
the earth sloped away from the wall
In all directions. The effect of this
device Is that in a hard rainstorm any
water which seeps toward the walls
of the house first will encounter the
cinders and, because of their porous
quality, win trickle down into the
tile at the base Of the walls and be
carried off.
Another feature of the Lee Heights
house is its sheathing, a manufac.
tured product selected for its high
qualities of insulation. This sheath.
Ing. which takes the place of the ordi.
nary wood sub-siding. is designed not
only as an insulation against the
penetrating cold of Winter. but also
against the heat Of. summer:
Roof Is Of SIate.
The roof Of the. Lee Heights house
% of Buoiingham slate. Roofing
products have undergone a remark
able change in recent years. An inn.
mite variety of new roofing materials
has come into use to replace the old
fashioned wood shingles because OF
their somewhat higher infiainmability
and the slate roof because of Its
higher expense. But on the theory
that a roof which is practically ever
lasting probably viii prove an econ
omy in the long run, many builders
and home buyers today are selecting
the slate roof. The attractive appear
aflce OF slate has been conceded for
centuries, That its beauty still is
admitted Is, evidenced by the fact that
many of the manufacturers Of com
position roofings initiate in their
products the typical appearance OF
the slate.
other elements of beauty in the ex,
terror aspect Of the Lee Heights house
are the old-fashioned shutters, the
brick.f1oored entrance porch and the
covered porch adjoining.
Within the house the architect has
maintained the simplicity of former
years, but has introduced all the con-
keniences OF, the present day. The
tiled bath would have aroused the
envy OF even the wealthiest people
not 30 many years ago before modern
plumbing had been developed. Heat
ing was another problem that was not
satisfactorily solved until recent
wears, The model house has its mod.
erya hOt.weeter heating plant guaran.