Fig. 80.—PLAN OF SECOND FLOOR.
DESIGN XX.
A COUNTRY HOUSE, COSTING $2,600.
This plan is somewhat similar in style and materials to [Design XXIV.] The changes here indicated adapt it to a more southern climate, such as larger window openings, more piazzas, and placing the domestic rooms at the rear of the main building.... Exterior, ([fig. 81].)—“Double front” houses (as those having their front entrance in the center are usually called), may face any point of compass, and are adapted to almost any situation. They appear best when located at sufficient distance from the road to allow extended, neatly laid-out approaches, and thus give an air of retirement.... Cellar, ([fig. 82].)—Hight, 7 feet. Full size of the main building, with window openings on every side.... First Story, ([fig. 83].)—Hight of ceilings in main house, 11 feet; in the wing, 9 feet. The apartments embraced in the main house are unusually large, airy, and pleasant. All the windows open down to the floor, and are protected from sun and rain by the piazza. The Hall has a wide entrance leading from the piazza, and contains the principal flight of stairs. The Parlor and Living-room are of equal size (14 × 24 feet), have windows looking in three directions, and have open fire-places in each. The rear entry occupies part of the main house and wing, its hight of ceiling is determined by the platform of the main stairs. It communicates conveniently with the rear piazza, main hall, living-room, kitchen, cellar-stairs, and a closet. In the Wing are a kitchen, work-room or summer-kitchen, butler’s pantry, and two closets. The Kitchen communicates with the living-room through the butler’s pantry, which is “dresser-finished” with drawers and shelving. The work-room is furnished with a pump, sink, and two stationary wash-tubs. If desired, a bath-room may be placed in this wing, and fitted up with the necessary plumbing, as shown in [Design XXXIII.]... Second Story, ([fig. 84].)—Hight of ceiling, 9 feet. A hall, three chambers, a bedroom, and four closets are the divisions of this story. The stairs leading to the attic are placed above those of the first story, with a door at the foot.... Attic.—The estimate provides for a floor in this, and for casing the four pair of windows, but it is otherwise left unfinished. Four or more bedrooms may be made in this story if desired.... Construction.—The materials are indicated in the estimate. The foundation-walls show 2 feet above the ground. The timber is framed and raised in the most thorough manner. The beams are placed 2 feet apart from centers, and bridged with one row of “cross-bridging” in each span. Observe that the main posts are 25 feet long; this includes the whole hight from bottom of sills to top plates, and allows for four feet of inside breastwork from the attic floor to foot of main rafters. The main roof is set at an angle of 45°. The “open-worked” barges in the pediment ([fig. 81]), are of 1¼-inch-plank, 16 inches wide, pierced in simple figure, and require only one set of patterns for the four gables. The piazza-rafters show in their ceilings. Perforated pediments in each side allow the escape of heated air from under the roofs. The columns are “boxed” 7 inches square, and chamfered. The spandrels are scroll-sawed from 3-inch timber. The two full stories are hard finished on two coats of brown mortar and seasoned lath. All doors are panelled, and all architraves in the main house are double moulded; in the wing single moulded. All sashes are 1½ inch thick, and glazed with second quality French glass. The parlor and living-room have marble mantles; the chambers have marble shelves resting on stucco trusses. The main stairs have an 8-inch octagon newel, a 2¼ × 4¼ moulded hand-rail, and 2-inch fluted balusters, all of black walnut, as also are the saddles to each room. All knobs, roses, and escutcheons are of white porcelain. All wood usually painted has two coats of best paint, in shades to suit the owner’s taste.
Estimate of Cost:
| 137 | yards excavation, complete, at 20c. per yard. | $27.40 | |
| 52 | perches stone-work, at $2.75 per perch. | 143.00 | |
| 6,000 | brick, furnished and laid, at $12 per M. | 72.00 | |
| 44 | ft. blue-stone, at 30c. per ft. | 13.20 | |
| 623 | yards plastering, complete, at 28c. per yard. | 174.44 | |
| 7,126 | ft. timber, at $15 per M. | 106.89 | |
| 1 | sill, 4 × 8 in. 205 ft. long. | ||
| 10 | posts, 4 × 8 in. 25 ft. long. | ||
| 2 | girders, 4 × 8 in. 25 ft. long. | ||
| 1 | tie, 4 × 6 in. 124 ft. long. | ||
| 1 | plate, 4 × 6 in. 205 ft. long. | ||
| 1 | piazza, 3 × 5 in. 332 ft. long. | ||
| 90 | beams, 3 × 8 in. 15 ft. long. | ||
| 15 | beams, 3 × 8 in. 17 ft. long. | ||
| 4 | valleys, 3 × 8 in. 23 ft. long. | ||
| 40 | rafters, 3 × 5 in. 20 ft. long. | ||
| 1 | piazza, 3 × 8 in. 370 ft. long. | ||
| 500 | wall-strips, at 11c. each. | 55.00 | |
| 360 | siding, at 28c. each. | 100.80 | |
| Materials in cornices, corner-boards, etc. | 40.00 | ||
| 360 | shingling-lath, at 6c. each. | 21.60 | |
| 65 | bunches shingles, at $1.50 each. | 97.50 | |
| 134 | hemlock boards, at 16c. each. | 21.44 | |
| 15 | squares tin roofing, gutters, and leaders, at 7c. per ft. | 105.00 | |
| 360 | flooring, at 28c. each, $100.80; stairs, complete, $90. | 190.80 | |
| Piazzas, except roofing, complete. | 150.00 | ||
| 8 | cellar windows, $48; 30 windows, $300. | 348.00 | |
| 28 | doors, complete, at $10, $280; closet finish, $20. | 300.00 | |
| Mantles and shelves, $75; nails, $20. | 95.00 | ||
| Painting, complete, $150; cartage, $35. | 185.00 | ||
| Pump, sink, and range, $60; incidentals, $42.93. | 102.93 | ||
| Carpenter’s labor, not included above. | 250.00 | ||
| Total cost, complete. | $2,600.00 | ||
The following detailed estimate of the cost of windows and doors, “complete,” are given in explanation as to what is included in the foregoing and other lists, viz.:
| First-class Windows, complete.—For a 2-7 × 6-2 window, with panelled back, and full double trim, viz.: | |
| 22 ft. running lumber in frame, at 4c. | $0.88 |
| 4 pulleys. | .14 |
| 28 lbs. iron weights, at 2½c. | .70 |
| Sash cord, 8c.; screws, 3c. | .11 |
| 22 ft. of 8-inch trim, at 8c. | 1.76 |
| Panelled back materials. | .48 |
| Sash, glazed, counter-checked, and hung. | 2.80 |
| Blinds, with fastenings. | 1.80 |
| Materials in outside cap. | .64 |
| Nails, 8c.; labor, $4. | 4.08 |
| Total. | $13.39 |
| Second-class Windows, complete.—For a 2-7 × 5-2 window, with plain single moulded trim, viz.: | |
| 20 running ft. of lumber in frame, at 4c. | $0.80 |
| 4 pulleys, at 40c. per dozen. | .14 |
| 26 lbs. sash-weights, at 2½c. | .65 |
| Sash-cord. | .08 |
| Screws. | .03 |
| 16 ft. of 5-inch trim, at 5c. | .80 |
| Sash, glazed, counter-checked, and hung. | 2.16 |
| Blinds, with fastenings. | 1.56 |
| Nosing, apron, and drip. | .30 |
| Nails, 6c.; labor, $2.50. | 2.56 |
| Total. | $9.08 |
Where there are an equal number of each class, I should put their cost at $11.23 each, and where the second class preponderates, as is usually the case, the average price is reduced accordingly: