THE DOCTOR CHARLES E. INCHES HOUSE
A very interesting feature in an old farmhouse is the fireplace, which
varies in size with the age of the house; the oldest ones are large,
with cavernous mouths, since they were the only means of heating the
house. These are capable of holding a ten-foot log, for it must be
remembered that at that period of our country's history the woods grew
at the very door.
A few of these old fireplaces are found to-day, principally in the old
kitchens or living-rooms, although occasionally we see an old house
which has them in almost every room. There is a great variety in their
design as well as size, some being very simple and framed in wood, while
others show tiling; occasionally we find elaborate carving, but this is
in the better class building rather than in the simple little farmhouse.
These details denote the different periods and also the wealth of the
former owner.
With the introduction of stoves, many fireplaces were bricked in to
accommodate an air-tight stove which gave more heat and saved fuel. One
unaccustomed to the features of an old farmhouse would infer a lack of
fireplaces. The removal of brick and mortar, however, reveals the large,
cavernous hearth which was often three feet deep and sometimes showed a
second bricking in, to make it smaller. Often in the narrowing of the
fireplace, tiles are used, generally Dutch, which are blue and white in
coloring. Occasionally in opening up these fireplaces, one comes across
rare old andirons that were considered of too little value to be
removed; old cranes and kettles are also found, of the type common in
the days of our early ancestors.
It must be remembered that the chimneys of these old houses were often
six feet square and had many fireplaces opening from them. It was the
central feature of the house, around which the rooms were built. The
earliest chimneys were daubed in clay, and in the masonry oak timbers
were often used. In remodeling a house many people tear down these old
chimneys for the space which may be converted into closet use and
alcoves, making a smaller chimney do service.
In the olden times, when the first chimneys were erected, they were so
carefully built that they were less liable to smoke than the smaller
ones, so that it is better to let the old one remain if possible. Brick
was generally used in the construction, although sometimes we find
stone. It was not the finished brick of to-day but rough and unfaced.
This was not true, however, of those which formed a part of cargoes from
abroad, more especially those brought from Holland. The use of stone was
not popular, as it was apt to chip when brought in contact with the
heat; this is also true of the hearthstones, where the flagging became
rough and most unsatisfactory.
The fireback was a feature of some of the old fireplaces. The earliest
of these made in our country were cast in Saugus, Massachusetts, and
some were most elaborate in design. Often coats-of-arms and initials
were worked out in their construction. In addition to the brick and
stone, soapstone facings were sometimes shown, but seldom do we come
across good carving.
The crane was a feature of the fireplace, and on it were hung the
pothooks from which depended the iron and brass pots in which food was
cooked. In one side of the bricks, just at the left of the fireplace,
was often a large brick oven with an iron door, and here on baking days
roaring wood fires were kindled to heat the bricks before the weekly
baking was placed within. Examination of these old ovens will be very
apt to reveal the age of the house.
In the remodeling it is well to leave the fireplaces much as they stand,
with the exception of bricking them in, for the old ones allowed too
much air to come down the chimney, and at the present high price of
wood, we are not able to indulge in the ten-foot logs that were in
evidence in our grandmothers' time.
A house with many fireplaces that stands back from the winding country
road on the border line between Medfield and Walpole in Massachusetts
was chosen for a summer home by Charles E. Inches. It is shaded now as
it was long ago by large, old elms whose widespreading branches seem to
add a note of hospitality to this most attractive estate. Possibly there
are better examples of the restored farmhouse than this one found at
Medfield, but it is very picturesque, not only in type but in
surroundings. It stands near a turn of the road, where it was erected,
in 1652, situated in a sheltered glen and protected from cold winds.
[Illustration: Front View showing the Old Well]
At that time it was a small and unpretentious building about twenty feet
long and showing in the interior fine examples of hand-hewn timbers.
Even in its dilapidated state it was most attractive, with its many
fireplaces and old woodwork. This particular house has two values, the
one relating to its historical record and the other to its old-time
construction. Through two centuries this little farmhouse had been the
home of the Adams family, a branch that was near in kin to the
presidential line of Adams who lived at Quincy, Massachusetts.
[Illustration: Before Remodeling]
At the time of its building, a stream wound in and out through the
meadow land that was a part of the property. It was such a large stream
that it afforded sufficient power to run an old mill that originally
stood on the estate and which for many years ground the neighbors'
grain. On a ridge opposite the house, worn stone steps lead up through
pastures to a sturdy oak which stands nearly opposite the front of the
house and is known in history as the "whipping tree." Here, in Colonial
days, wrong-doers were tied to be whipped. Just before we reach the
stone wall, which was laid probably by the slaves held by the landowner
of that period, we find an old mounting-block. On the side of one of
the stones are the figures 1652; and it was from this block that many a
Colonial dame mounted to her pillion to ride in slow and dignified style
behind her worthy squire. Even in those days the grounds were very
extensive and reached for many acres. These to-day have been reclaimed
and laid down to grass land and garden.
[Illustration: Across the Lawn]
Half way between the house and the tennis court which defines the estate
is a wonderful old garden which has been designed not so much for show
purposes as to supply flowers all through the season. This is not the
only garden on the place, for back of it is the vegetable garden and the
old-fashioned one. The dividing line between the two is a row of stately
trees which hide the former from view at the front of the house. Rows of
apple-trees, many of which were on the estate when it was first
purchased, remnants of the original orchard, surround in part the tennis
court, behind which is a swimming pool which is in frequent use. This is
about twenty-five feet long and twelve wide, cemented to a depth of
seven feet; with its background of tall poplars it is very artistic and
lends itself to all sorts of water contests.
During the latter part of the nineteenth century, new life came to the
old house. It had stood for years, weather-beaten and old, guarding the
family name. While the outside was very attractive and in tolerably good
repair, it was the interior that appealed especially. There was
beautiful old wainscoting and paneling of wide boards, some of which was
split from logs at least thirty inches in width. Great reverence was
paid by the owner to the original structure, particularly to the old
kitchen with its large, brick fireplace and chimney which was restored
to its early beauty.
Sagging plaster was removed, and underneath were found well-preserved,
hand-hewn beams and rafters. These were carefully cleaned and considered
of such great beauty that they were left exposed as far as possible,
more especially those which showed the sign of the adze. The walls,
which had been previously neglected, were stripped of wall-papers which
were in some places ten thicknesses deep. In removing one of these, a
wonderfully fine landscape paper was discovered, and although every
attempt was made to save it, it was too far defaced. Under the paper was
a wide paneling of white pine, so good that it needed only a slight
restoration. In the opening of the fireplace the crane, pothook, and
hangers were found to be intact, while many pieces of ancestral pewter
and copper were polished and placed in proper position on the wide,
receding chimney. This was to give it the look of the olden days, when
pewter was used for the table. There was no bricking in of this old
fireplace, for it was considered such a wonderful example that it was
left in its original state. The old flint-lock that did service in the
early war was hung over the fireplace, while from the chimney hook the
old-time kettles were swung much as they did in the days when they were
used for cooking purposes. The old brick oven used by the Adams family
was not removed, and at one side of the fireplace a long braid of corn
was hung in conformity with the custom of that period. The hand-hewn
rafters and beams have been left intact in this room, as has the old
woodwork, so that the kitchen, now used as a den, is an exact
reproduction of the original room. It is the most interesting apartment
in the house, being situated at the right of the entrance and furnished
with old family heirlooms, including five rare slat-back chairs, a
rush-bottomed rocking-chair, and a settle of the same period. Even the
wide boards that were used in the original flooring have been retained,
and the old brick hearth, showing wide bricks such as are never found in
modern residences. To meet present requirements, the cellar was
cemented, and a furnace added, in order that the occupants need not
depend entirely on the fireplaces for heat.
[Illustration: The Hall and Stairway]
In the hallway, the stairway, following the lines of many Colonial
houses, rises at one side. Here the wall-paper is wonderfully preserved,
being in the old colors of yellow and white and of a very old design. It
was made in England over a century ago and gives an appropriate
atmosphere to the entrance of the attractive old home.
[Illustration: The Living Room]
The living-room, which is spacious and comfortable, is at the right just
before you enter the den. The woodwork has been painted white, following
the Colonial idea, while old-fashioned, diamond-paned windows have been
substituted for the original ones. Here, as throughout all the house,
one comes unexpectedly upon groups of shelves filled with books. There
are built-in cupboards that provide places for the wonderful collection
of books, many of which are rare editions, owned by the present
occupants. Like every room in the house, this shows several tables of
unusually fine design, a handsome side-wing chair, and a few other
choice pieces. The great open fireplace with its Colonial accessories
lends much to the hominess of this room.
At the left of the hallway is the large and spacious dining-room, which
is in reality three rooms opened into one, the partitions showing in the
beamed ceilings. The walls are finished in green textile and are left
unornamented with the exception of one or two choice pictures. There was
a method in the construction of this room which was planned for unbroken
spaces to bring out to advantage the lines of the beautiful old
sideboard. Then, too, the space shows off the lines of the rush-bottomed
chairs that are used for dining-chairs. The mantel, framed in white
wood, is hung with rare porringers, ranging from large to baby size.
There is a restful atmosphere about this room, that, combined with its
perfect setting, is most refreshing. At the farther end of the room,
French doors open upon the sun parlor which is used during the summer
months for a breakfast-room. This overlooks the garden.
The bedrooms up-stairs are large and airy, each one of them being
carefully furnished with Colonial pieces which include four-posters,
high and lowboys as well as quaint, old-time chests of drawers that can
do service as bureaus, or as storage space for extra blankets, hangings,
or rugs.
The floors throughout the entire house are of hard wood, many of them
being the original ones that were laid when the house was built. Rare
old Chippendale, Sheraton, and Hepplewhite chairs are used in the
furnishings, while hand-woven rugs cover the floors. The windows are
screened by chintz hangings of bright colors and gay designs, and the
whole house presents a sunny, restful atmosphere.
At the rear of the house an ell has been added where the new kitchen
with all modern conveniences, pantries, servants' dining and sitting
rooms are found. Thus while the exterior features of the old house have
been carefully preserved, the addition of the ell gives comfort and
convenience to the new building.
Shrubbery has been planted around the house, and a veranda thrown out;
window-boxes filled with brilliantly blossoming plants add a bit of
color to the remodeled farmhouse which is painted red with white trim.
Velvety lawns have replaced the old-time farming lands, and the planting
of trees has done much to add to the picturesqueness of this estate.
The grounds themselves are extensive, covering forty-five acres, and the
natural beauties are unusually varied. Broad stretches of fields and
hills intersected with trees make a most appropriate setting for the old
Adams homestead.