It had been unoccupied for a long period and with exterior weather-beaten and interior uninhabitable, it presented a forlorn appearance, repelling to most would-be purchasers. It stood by the side of a traveled road and in its best days was occupied by a farmer and his family who cared more for the barn adjoining the house than they did for the farmhouse itself.
The estate was a large one that had been neglected and allowed to run down until weeds and rank grass were so intermingled that it seemed a discouraging task to bring it back into a good state of cultivation. Adjoining the house, and connected with it by a shed, was a large barn with sagging roof and so dilapidated that it seemed past restoring. Across the front, defining the estate, was once a neat paling fence that had been torn down until only a small portion remained.
Many acres of the estate were meadow-land which swept to the horizon of trees, yet the once fine apple orchard, though sadly in need of pruning, showed promise, and there were possibilities in the whole estate that needed only attention and development to make them profitable. There had been no one to care for the old house, and it stood discouraged by the roadside awaiting a sympathetic owner.
Before Remodeling
It was in this condition when first seen by Mr. Charles Martin Loeffler, whose experienced eye discerned its possibilities. It is the wise man who fits his house to his grounds and who in the general scheme considers its surroundings. The grass land, the garden, the orchards, the fencing of the estate, each one of which demands separate treatment, should be so arranged that they will be profitable in the end. The new owner realized this and also that he could not be too careful in combining house and garden so that they would make a harmonious whole.
The location was ideal, quiet and retired and exactly what had been most desired, so the remodeling was placed in the hands of a careful architect, who, after thoroughly considering the situation, decided it could not be done. It was then that Mr. Loeffler took the matter into his own hands, drawing exact plans of what was necessary to achieve the desired result, and it was under his personal direction that the workmen began to remodel the unattractive little cottage. It was borne in mind that even the addition of a porch or veranda must be carefully considered to avoid confusion of architecture so that the house itself, when finished, should follow a single idea and not a composite mass of details that were entirely out of place and in bad taste. It was realized that no house, no matter how situated, should have discordant surroundings. Out-buildings should not be allowed to mar the symmetry of the house and should be removed so that they would not be an eyesore but in keeping with the general plan.
The house itself, however, demanded attention first; it was very small, with a pitched roof in the upper story and a long ell connecting it with the farm buildings. The exterior was left practically as when first purchased, with the exception of a small and well-planned porch at the front, a long ell for servants' quarters, and a wide veranda at the rear that extended the entire length of the house. In the porch settles were added on either side which help to give the house an air of dignity and invite the guest to rest and enjoy the beautiful scenery.