WILLOWDALE
Should you chance to run across an old farmhouse that shows good
interior woodwork, do not carelessly pass it by, for such houses are not
easy to discover. You must realize that when restored it will be much
more attractive than one with a plain mopboard and narrow cornice.
Woodwork was not of the Colonial type in the earliest houses; it was
used merely as a wall covering and was called wainscot, the same as it
is to-day. This was because the paneling was originally made from
wainscot oak which was well grained and without knots. Differing from
that in nineteenth-century houses, it was put on the walls vertically,
the boards being rough and wide. It must be remembered that in those
days trees had not been felled to any extent, and the giants of the
forest provided the best of lumber for this purpose. These boards were
either lapped or put together with tongue-strips. Later on, we find
interiors where they were laid horizontally, like those of a century or
more ago, and instead of being plain boards, were well finished.
Wainscot is an inheritance from our early ancestors, for in the manor
houses in the mother country there is wonderful woodwork, used not only
for wainscot, but for other parts of the interior finish. White pine,
which at that time grew abundantly in our native woods, was employed for
interior as well as exterior purposes, this being more especially true
in the northern and eastern parts of the country, where it was more
plentiful. It has generally been conceded that this wood was the best on
account of its wearing properties, and as it did not show figure in
either the grain or markings. It was often called "cheese-like" and for
this reason was preferred by wood-carvers and cabinetmakers for their
art.
The wainscot was used until about the time of the Revolution and not
until a later period were the walls plastered. It has never lost its
popularity and is found in many twentieth-century houses. It is
generally shown in paneled effects which came into vogue much later than
the plain board period. This woodwork was generally in the lower story,
where more time and thought were given to interior finish; very rarely
is it found in the chambers and then only in the better class of houses.
Wainscot is not the only interior woodwork used; we often find whole
walls finished in paneled wood, and fireplaces with a simple frame in
paneled effects. Many of these old fireplaces showed a wooden shelf
only, while later on, in the early part of the nineteenth century, fine
carvings were included. Occasionally we run across a mantel of this kind
in an old farmhouse, but it is very rare.
It would be out of place for the house owner to introduce a mantel of
this kind, no matter how attractive, in some types of old farmhouses. It
would not be in keeping with the style and, while handsome and graceful
in design, would be incongruous even in remodeled surroundings.
Door-frames as well as the wainscot betoken the age of the house, for in
the earlier ones doors are perfectly plain in finish, elaboration in
design of paneling and wood-carving coming into play at a little later
period. Cornices widened and also became more elaborate as house
building progressed, and a century after the first wainscot was used, we
find them sometimes several inches in width and showing different
motives, such as the egg and dart. These also are rarely found in an
old farmhouse, for it must be remembered that our early ancestors had
little time to think out elaboration in the interior finish of their
homes which were built solely as shelters.
In the reproductions of to-day the wide boards are not easy to find,
unless they are taken from some old house. One of the most valuable
boards is the pumpkin pine which is now rarely found, having disappeared
from the New England forest long ago. Fortunate is the house owner who
discovers this wood in his old farmhouse, for it is found only in the
very oldest buildings. The softness of the wood and the great width of
the boards distinguish it from the white pine.
In 1695, on the shores of Cape Cod, not far from Cataumet, a small
farmhouse was built, with four rooms down-stairs and two rooms and an
unfinished attic above. It was the home of one of the early settlers and
stood facing the highway, a simple, unpretentious dwelling of no
particular design and incongruous architecture. Although it had been
substantially built, it had been abandoned for many years and was in a
most dilapidated condition. Originally the water came nearly to its
door, but the shore line gradually had receded, so when first
discovered, the little building stood with its back to the road, and
its face to the bare meadows.
[Illustration: Before Remodeling]
Like other houses of this early period, it was guiltless of paint, and
its weather-beaten sides showed the wear and exposure of many years'
conflict with the elements. To transform this house into a summer home
equipped with accommodations adequate for a modern family, was a
difficult problem. The proportions of the exterior were good but so
simple that in order to extend the original quaint outline of the house
without marring it, the additions had to be made with unusual care.
[Illustration: The Front View]
The first step was to carefully study the period for correct remodeling
and to lay out the five acres of grounds to balance the house and
preserve symmetry of detail. A driveway starts at the entrance, where on
a high pole swings a shield-like sign with a red background and showing
the name of the house, Willowdale, in white. The estate is defined by a
fence, and the house in its remodeled state is attractively located on
rising land, many feet back from the main highway.
[Illustration: The House from the Garden]
A hundred years after the house was built, a new highway was opened at
the rear; thus the front or south side was wholly screened from
observation, and it was here that the new owner decided to lay out his
garden. It is enclosed by a high fence painted white, with latticed
panels stained green; at the end a summer-house was erected, whose axis
is the central path of flat stepping-stones that leads to the quaint
porch entrance. Its three outer sides extend beyond the fence and
command a broad view of the picturesque shore territory. The garden
proper is of the old-fashioned type, in conformity with the old-time
atmosphere of the estate, and the same sorts of flowers thrive in the
trim beds that bloomed no doubt in the first owner's garden. Trailing
vines conceal the fence outlining this plot from view. The only
distinctive modern touch and yet one quite in harmony with the
quaintness of the grounds is a large crystal gazing-bowl. This reflects
in its luminous surface the nodding heads of the flowers, the floating
clouds, the children dashing past, or the still loveliness of the summer
sunset which preludes the night.
[Illustration: A Rear View]
The original house had been substantially built, and while appearing
dilapidated, few of the shingles needed replacing even after two hundred
years' wear. In the interior comparatively few repairs were necessary,
paint and paper being the principal requisites. Additions had to be
made to secure the needed room, and the first problem was to arrange
these to conform with the original quaint outline. The old part was of
the old farmhouse type, low of build. To the right a wing was built to
contain three bedrooms and a bathroom, and to balance this a broad,
covered veranda was added at the left; behind this, at the rear,
quarters for the kitchen, servants' hall, and chambers were thrown out.
There was need of more light for the second-floor rooms in the old
building, so dormers were inserted in the deep pitched roof at the
front.
The exterior was then painted dark red with a white trim, following the
style of the first painted houses. Whether the red was used for
economy's sake or not is a question, but it probably was, and proved
most appropriate. Yellow was the next coloring used, which is shown by
the fact that it is sometimes found with red underneath; the white paint
came into vogue still later.
Over the front door a small porch was built which was in strict keeping
with the period. Trellises were erected at one side of the house for
rambler roses and vines that would break the plain, solid effect of the
shingled surface. An old-fashioned well was boxed in, at the rear of
the kitchen entrance, and furnishes drinking-water for the family. The
old chimney was retained, so that the fireplaces could be used.
When the house was first built, there were two rooms at the front and at
the rear a kitchen, kitchen-bedroom, and a dairy. The three small rooms
were thrown into one large room which is now used as a dining-room. When
the plaster was scraped off from the ceiling, it was found that there
were hand-hewn beams underneath in such a good state of preservation
that they were left uncovered, giving to the new apartment a distinctive
touch. It was then discovered that the house had been built around a
tree, for a substantial oak, with its roots deep in the ground and its
large trunk still shouldering the roof beam, was disclosed. Underneath
the old paper was found fine wood paneling which was scraped and painted
white; next the fireplace was opened, and proved to be eight feet wide
with a swinging crane at the back. This was restored to its original
size, and a square, brick hearth was laid. The old floors were replaced
by new ones, and the entire room was given the tone of the period. Rag
rugs are laid on the floor, and all the furniture represents
seventeenth-century pieces. At one end of the room is the dining-table,
and at the farther side, large French windows hung with chintz open on
to a vine-clad veranda.
[Illustration: The Living Room]
The parlor, which opened from the dining-room, was covered with many
layers of dirty wall-paper. When these were removed, it was discovered
that there was a very fine wainscoting. In one corner was a
three-cornered cupboard with a paneled door underneath. The fireplace
was opened up, and when the room was painted it developed into one of
the most charming rooms in the house. The paneling was painted just off
the white, and the walls were hung with soft, gray paper with tiny pink
flowers, making the color scheme of the room gray and pink. This was
carried out in all the furnishings,--the chintz used for cushions and
the hangings harmonizing with these tones. Instead of having all the
furniture of the Colonial period, comfortable willow chairs were
introduced, in order to give the light, airy touch that makes a summer
home distinctive. This is a large, livable room, well-lighted by many
windows and looking out upon the lawn and the garden.
The hallway is of the plain, simple type which was so common in the
oldest houses. The walls are covered with a reproduction of an old-time
landscape paper, and the passage forms the division line between the old
sitting-room and the dining-room. This dining-room is now used as a
chamber; it is large and sunny with a wide-open fireplace. It is
furnished with an Empire bed and shows everything that would have been
found in the early days in a chamber of this kind, even to the spirit
lamp that stands on the high mantel, the warming-pan beside the generous
fireplace, the oval mirror, and the wooden cradle with its hand-woven
blanket, where now sleeps a twentieth-century baby.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Two of the Chambers]
On the second story the rooms have been remodeled and show the same good
taste which prevails all through the house. The unfinished attic has
been plastered, papered, and converted into two bedrooms which are
equipped with the old-time furnishings and are used primarily as guest
rooms. The gable windows make them light and airy and at the same time
afford a charming glimpse of the garden, heavy with the fragrance of the
sweet-smelling blossoms, much as it was two centuries ago.
Willowdale is one of the most comfortable and well appointed of the many
remodeled houses that are found in New England. It is the possession of
such a quantity of fine old woodwork that has given the house its
distinctive atmosphere, though this has been preserved and heightened by
the good taste of the present residents, who have succeeded in making it
a most livable dwelling. Every room is well lighted and well ventilated,
yet the house maintains in its renovated state all the quaintness and
charm of a seventeenth-century home. It is a fine example of how an old
house can be remodeled with little trouble and expense, and how the old
and new can be combined harmoniously.