Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13
Teacher Designs and Builds Home and Makes Furniture

notonous job by the pride Of the
builder in his unusual Summertime
task. There Is an inexpliCable joy in
shaping lumber and linking together
material which will compose the home
in which You will perhaps reside for
the remainder of your days. Thumb
the pages of pioneering history and
you Will read extended discourses
about the pleasure which our earliest
pathtinders and trail-blaZers had In
he Telling Of logs and fitting of them
.oSether in the form of houses which
we're to shelter their loved ones. This
s the citation which urged Prof. VIII
on to greater efforts. Furthermore,
Ge satisfaction which ne has expert
need since the completion of his
yelling. in a Job we'll done. has eff
ICED remembrance of the trials and
fOubleS. aches and pains which the
ss:gnment bred.
School had resumed when the VIII
sons finally moved into their new
home. The oaken floors were finished
hut there was still some inside car
pentry and all the interior painting
to be done Prof. Wilson completed
these tasks during the long Winter
evenings which followed AS soon as
The decorating was finished he iuaugu-
rated his furniture making campaign
a drive in cabinetmaking which con
sumed all his spare time of the sue
ceeding Il years.
x K ! 1:
THIS amateur builder reports that
he saved approximately $4,000 H.
devoting his Winter evenings and
Summer vacation To TIA task of de
signing and building the attractive
six-room house in which he now re
sides. The average business * Sro
feSsiOnal man probably could not
spare the time from his commercial
duties to duplicate the successful
home-erecting activities of this Wash
ingtOn school teacher. The Instructor.
however. had ample time during his
Summer vacation. when school had
adjourned for about three months. I'm
which to build his home. During his
spare time and the Christmas and
Easter vacations of the following IA
years he made more than 81 900
worth of hand-carVed furniture.
The Wilson home is 80 10y Il feet
in floor dimension. with q comfortable
porch extending along one side of the
frame building The residence crowns
the crest of a knoll, SO that q beau
tiful outlook is had from the we'll
shaded veranda. The entrance porch
Of the house is made of glazed brick
bedded in concrete. This provided a
durable porch which is weather
worthy and easy to keep clean. The
colonial doorway. arched canopy and
picturesque electric lanterns arc at
tractive features. This Dutch CO
lonial style house, painted cream,
with green roof and shutters. looks so
honey" and coy that il seems to
extend silent invitation to the pass
er-by to stop and enter.
Upon entering the large living room
through the front entrance, one finds
that the inside is even more attractive
than the exterior.
4 four-poSter mahogany bed which
Mr.. Wilson made during the New
Year holidays is a wonderful example
of skill in the woodworking art. This
bed represents % hours of painstak-
ing work. The chiffonier which Prof
Wilson also made would certainly be
JOY in many Capital City homes
where recalcitrant dresser drawers are
sources of particular annoyance dur
ing damp weather when they swell
and are extremely difficult to open.
This amateur artisan paid special at
tention to the fit and easy movement
of the four large and two small draw
ers in this mahogany chiffonier.
The two children in the Wilson
family play with remarkable toys
which their father has made during
his rest hours. There is fascination
about working with wood which makes
such tasks "a pleasure if once your
enthusiasm is aroused. That has been
the spirit in which Prof. Wilson has
accomplished the multiplicity of manu-
featuring Jobs which he has con-
summated~ during the last two years.
Among the playthings at the Will
son home which merit special mention
is four-poster dolls bed made OF
mahogany. A child's rocking chair Is
another durable and well made article.
A coaster wagon with solid disk
wheels, toy wheelbarrow, several
carts, animal toys mounted on wheels.
walking wallapus which moves by
overbalancing when placed on an in
clined plane, building blocks and sew
eral mechanical playthings compose
the collection. All will be serviceable
for many years, as they have been
built TO withstand the bumps and buff
fets which eager. active children are
| sure to give them.