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.
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.
The Front View