I—THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN HOUSE
Begin in the earliest times with the homes of the cave and lake dwellers, the reed and wattle huts of primitive man, and the tents of the nomads. Notice how, as wandering groups settled, civilization advanced and houses of wood and stone were erected.
Follow with a study of the permanent and beautiful homes of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, and show plans of the simple and harmonious interiors. Then contrast these with the dwellings of the Norsemen, the Goths, and other ruder nations, and see how, after they had conquered Rome, they carried back some ideas of comfort and beauty. A good encyclopedia will furnish references on these subjects.
Study the architecture of the Middle Ages, the great castles of Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and England, with pictures from histories and encyclopedias. Mention carvings and ornaments in stone and wood, used in these castles. Unless this topic is to be expanded into a study of architecture, it is better at this point to take up English houses alone. Note the time when half-timbering prevailed, shown still in many houses in Warwickshire and elsewhere. Take up the Tudor period, when red brick was largely the material used and leaded casement windows are seen. Carved furniture, panelled halls, and elaborate furniture were also common. The Georgian and Victorian periods follow, and have a certain interest; and then we come to our own country.
II—THE AMERICAN HOUSE
Houses built in Colonial and Revolutionary times were suggested by English styles, and many were copies of existing houses. They were largely built of wood, and the lines were simple and artistic. The Old Manse at Concord, the Longfellow house at Cambridge, and well-known Southern mansions are suggestive of the general style. The Dutch houses of the day were often of stone, and were low, with deep roofs and porches and huge fireplaces.
Soon after 1800 the period of experimental architecture began, and has continued till of late, when we are slowly turning backward toward the reproduction of old styles again. Nondescript houses, constructed to please the passing fancy, have been the rule; mixed styles, inartistic lines, and scrollwork have disfigured them.
Show from magazines the new ideas; reproductions of old English homes, French chateaux, Tudor mansions; the combinations of brick, stone, and wood; the use of cement, stucco, and stone. We have adopted foreign ideas, and are making them individual and valuable.
Have each member of the club bring in pictures and plans of modern houses of all kinds, those of the city, the village, the farm, from the cheapest to the most costly, and point out the new ideas and the old. A good idea is to have a contest of plan-drawing on easy lines, to give some practical knowledge of desirable points.