GREEN MEADOWS
The architect of to-day has an advantage over the master builder of long
ago in that he is able to grasp all ideas that were introduced into the
old house and can restore it without losing the spirit of the original
in either the exterior or interior. The wings and ells which were added
by succeeding tenants often bear little relation to the main building
and must either be torn down or harmonized in some way to preserve the
unity of the completed design. The general plan of the house and the
arrangement of the rooms should be carefully observed before the house
owner and architect undertake the task of remodeling. Too many houses
are disappointing because a study has not been made of the different
types and periods of old houses, and the result is a mixture, neither
one thing nor the other.
Old Colonial houses were always built on the rectangular plan, as this
provided the greatest amount of enclosed space with the least
expenditure of labor and material. They were also constructed about an
axis, and it is essential for the remodeler to determine what that axis
is before making any alterations.
In the earliest days, the chimney was the center of the building and
dominated the plan. The various rooms opened around it, so that as many
of them as possible could have a fireplace from the one chimney. It was
consequently a huge affair and occupied about three fourths as much
space as one of the rooms. In the first plans, there were usually but
two rooms, a kitchen on one side and a parlor on the other. Later, a
room was built in the back for the kitchen, and a third opening made in
the chimney. The narrow stairs were built in at the front to fit into
the chimney space and generally ascended with two landings and turns at
right angles.
As a late development, about the time of the Revolution, four equally
large rooms were needed, and this one chimney was divided into two and
placed on either side of the center of the house, so that in each of the
main rooms there was a fireplace opening front or back from one of the
two chimneys. This arrangement altered the position of the stairs, and
stairs and hall became the central axis of the house. The proportion of
the space allotted to them, however, remained about the same as when the
chimney had occupied the center. This accounts for the wide Colonial
halls, which are such a charming feature of old houses. The stairs were
built along one side, the length of the hall, often a perfectly straight
flight without turn or landing, and the hall was frequently cut clear
through to a door in the back, which formed a rear exit to the garden.
The Georgian houses at the end of the eighteenth century were commonly
built on this plan.
There was one other distinct type, in which the fireplaces in the four
corner rooms were in the outer walls, and four separate chimneys were
built. The central hall and staircase retained their same dominant
proportions, but a second cross hall was sometimes built, dividing the
house from end to end.
To all of these types, additions were frequently made, as the family
increased, or new owners took possession. The extra space was not
acquired by enlarging the main building but by adding an ell in the back
at right angles to the original structure, or a wing at the side,
parallel with it. These additions were attached to the house by their
smallest dimension, as that obstructed the least amount of light. They
were smaller than the main part; many were but one story in height, and
those that were two had a lower stud, so that the original building
would remain the important feature in the whole.
After examining the old house from this point of view, consider the new
uses to which it will be put and determine what changes will have to be
made. Sketch the entire plan out before commencing an alteration, and
then endeavor to see if the proposed remodeling is practical from a
structural point of view, and if it harmonizes with the original spirit
of the old building. Mark out in each room the position of windows and
decide where new ones may have to be cut in the rearranged interiors.
Study the fireplaces and find out whether the proposed removal of a
partition wall will throw them out of balance in the rooms, and what you
can do to counteract it. Pay particular attention to closet room, for in
the old days it was given too little consideration for modern
requirements.
Draw rough plans and put your ideas regarding every possibility down on
paper; it is surprising how many new suggestions will occur as each
scheme is worked out, and there is a fascination in seeing how much can
be fitted into a given space. After the work is begun, unforeseen
conditions will crop up and necessitate changes in the project, as well
as disclose new opportunities, but a greater part of the planning can be
done beforehand.
A roomy, old, New England farmhouse near Hamilton was recognized by Mr.
George Burroughs as a fertile subject for development into a beautiful
country home. It was situated in the heart of rolling country and
surrounded by wide stretches of grass land, from which the estate was
named "Green Meadows."
[Illustration: GREEN MEADOWS--FRONT VIEW]
The original house, separated from the highway by an old wall of field
stone and an elm-shaded dooryard, was built in 1786, and it is curious
to note that no deed was ever recorded. It was the usual type of
farmhouse, constructed about a central chimney, two and a half stories
in height, with an unbroken roof line. Subsequent owners had added wings
at each side instead of the more customary ell at the rear. One of these
wings is of brick, which indicates that it was probably not built before
the middle of the last century, but although the two building materials
seem incongruous in the one house, vines have so overgrown this wing
that the red glimpsed through them and contrasting with the white walls
of the house is very attractive.
The only important alterations in the exterior appearance of the house
were in the addition of the long veranda across the rear and the
alteration of the frame wing at the right. The old structure was found
to be in too dilapidated a condition to restore, but it was reproduced
in all its exterior details and joined to the end of a new wing attached
to the house and a trifle broader than the old. Two hip-roofed dormers
add to the space in the second floor and permit the construction of
attractive servants' quarters.
The frame of the entrance door in the center of the front facade is a
particularly happy example of the simple Georgian style used in the
better class of farmhouses of that day. Its flat pilasters and
well-proportioned cornice illustrate the restraint and refinement in the
work of even the average builders.
The door itself opens into a small hallway, restored with fresh white
paint to all its original beauty.
On this left side of the house the partition between the old
dining-room and parlor has been removed to make one large living-room.
After the cornices and the wainscoting were restored, the woodwork,
including the encased beams in the ceiling, was painted white. The
condition of the old floor made it necessary to lay a new one of hard
wood. This room admirably reflects the old Colonial spirit in its
fireplace and cupboards. The paneling above the mantel shelf presents an
interesting variation in the framing of fireplaces. The original
wainscot with its molded cap divides the wall surface in an agreeable
proportion, and the rather heavy cornice moldings at the ceiling line
relieve the emphasis of the great beams. The old hardware is used on
doors and windows, the thumb latches are finished in the natural black,
and the H and L hinges painted white to correspond with the woodwork.
The upper part of the walls is covered with a rose-colored paper
reproducing a conventional Georgian medallion design in silvery gray.
This rose color has been carried out in all the furnishings of this
room; the upholstery of chairs and sofas is in a deeper shade; the
over-curtains are somewhat paler, and in the Oriental rugs, rose blends
with soft browns and blues. Old-fashioned Venetian blinds or
slat-curtains shade the windows in the living-room and throughout the
house.
On the opposite side of the entrance hall is the reception-room. The
same treatment has been accorded here as in the living-room, and the
furnishings are especially harmonious and well arranged. The long, low
lines of an Adam sofa, a slender-legged desk, and chairs and table, each
one a noteworthy masterpiece of cabinet making, are admirably chosen to
add apparent height to the low stud, but the monotony of too much light
and low furniture is broken by a tall grandfather clock placed in the
corner. The pictures on the walls, old prints simply framed in mahogany,
are hung with a similar thought to increase the apparent height of the
room, and their arrangement is well worth studying. The fireplace, on
the opposite side of the chimney from that in the living-room, is
equally interesting. The wall above the white wainscot is papered in a
golden yellow of conventional flowers, and the upholstery and draperies
are of a golden striped and figured Adam damask that brings out the rich
color of the satinwood and mahogany furniture.
In the rear, on the same side of the house, is the dining-room. The old
woodwork here was insignificant, and it has been replaced with modern
paneled wainscot covering two thirds of the wall surface. One could wish
that the proportions of the original woodwork had been a little more
closely followed, and the atmosphere of the other rooms carried more
definitely into this. The old fireplace has been retained across the
corner of the room with its flue in the central chimney, but its frame
is a modern conception. The chimney cupboard in the side has been turned
into a china closet with a new door of mullioned glass displaying
interesting old pewter and plates. The upper third of the wall above the
wainscot is covered with a reproduction of an old-time scenic paper in
greens and grays, and the window hangings are of corresponding colors in
damask. The seats of the Hepplewhite chairs carry the same tones in
tapestry. The apparent size of the dining-room has been cleverly
increased by carrying the decorative motives into the passageway which
connects it with the service quarters in the right wing. The same
paneling of the wainscot and the same paper above, seen through the
double doorway, give the impression that this is all part of the one
room, and the placing of a buffet in front of the opening enhances the
effect.
On the other side of the dining-room a small hall, paneled with white
enameled woodwork to the ceiling, leads into the living-room.
[Illustration: The Living Room]
French doors of glass open from here on to the wide veranda which has
been added across the back of the house, overlooking the green meadows
and shady vales that stretch away on all sides.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Two Views of the Den]
From this veranda or from the living-room, one can enter the brick wing
at the left of the house. This originally contained the kitchen with
bedrooms above, but in altering it, the entire wing was thrown into one
room opened to the roof. With the great old beams and rafters showing,
and all the woodwork stained dark, this apartment lends itself admirably
to the character of a den or smoking-room. At the end, the old kitchen
chimney has been utilized for a fireplace, and old paneling inserted
above the high mantel. Seats have been built under the windows flanking
the chimney and, with their soft cushions and pillows, add materially to
the comfort of the room. The windows in this wing are unusually
large,--an indication of the later date of its construction,--and in
order to carry the same proportions in their divisions as in the older
part of the house, twenty-four panes of glass were used in each. A rich
green and brown landscape paper covers the upper two thirds of the walls
above the wainscot molding. The upholstery and cushions on davenport,
armchairs, and window-seats of brown leather stamp this apartment
indelibly as a man's room, and the decorations of old flint-locks in one
corner add to the effect.
The service quarters of the house in the wings at the right have been
made especially complete. In the middle section are butler's pantry,
kitchen, laundry, and refrigerator, with two bedrooms on the second
floor; and in the narrower part is a servants' hall and three bedrooms
which are open to the roof.
[Illustration: The Old-fashioned Chamber]
On the upper floor of the main part of the house the four bedrooms have
been kept much as in the past. Those in the rear have been made to open
out, through double doors, on to the second story of the veranda, which
can be used as a sleeping-porch. The old white woodwork and the original
fireplaces add their ineffable charm. The floors were in poor condition
and are covered with matting as a background for the rag rugs. Some very
interesting old pieces of furniture add to the atmosphere of these
chambers.
The registers of the hot-air heating system which has been installed
are unusually well selected for an old Colonial house. Instead of the
customary meaningless scroll and meander pattern in the grills, a simple
square lattice has been used, which preserves the spirit of other days
admirably.