In one of the previous chapters it was pointed out that the type of
construction next in general use to that of the wooden frame house was
the dwelling of masonry and wood. This was designated as Type II, and
defined as a building with exterior walls of stone, brick, concrete,
or terra-cotta, and interior floors and partitions of wooden frame
construction.
The difference in construction between the wooden frame structure
and the masonry-and-wood building is mostly in the material used for
the exterior walls. The interiors of both types are constructed in
practically the same way, the floors being of light wooden joists and
the partitions of wooden studs.
The oldest varieties of the masonry houses in America are represented
by the stone and brick dwellings of Colonial days. These are so
substantially built, and often so artistic in conception, that they
have become common models from which to draw inspiration. The concrete
house of the monolithic or block type, and that of hollow terra-cotta
tile, is a modern development.
_The Stone House_
The stone house is very adaptable to all those regions where this
material can be secured from the excavation of the cellar or from some
neighboring road improvement. Sometimes an old stone wall serves as a
source of supply. Because of the native character of this material it
will always be in harmony with the landscape.
In building the wall of stone there are a number of things to be
observed, where success is desired. The wall should be well bonded
together, the lintels over the windows should be strong, the
foundations should be adequate to prevent cracks, the method of laying
should be artistic, and the form of jointing in harmony with it.
All native stones used for rubble wall construction have certain
characteristics of color and formation. Certain stones will split
easily into long, flat shapes, others seem to have very little
lamination and break into jagged, irregular patterns, while others are
so soft that they lend themselves to easy shaping in squared blocks
of regular size. Sometimes, even, the neighborhood may be filled with
round field stones, which can be used to imbed into the face of the
wall and produce a surface of round bumps. Whatever is the character of
the native stone, it should be used in its simplest form and not forced
into imitation of some other type. The soft brown sandstones which are
seen in some Colonial houses are easily cut and squared; but to cut
up a hard stone into such carefully shaped blocks, in imitation of
this Colonial work, would not only be a waste of money but a waste of
artistic effect.