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Remodeled Farmhouses

<h2>CHAPTER XIII</h2> <h3>LITTLE ORCHARD</h3> The old farmhouse can well be copied as a type for the modern summer home, for its lines are excellent, and its design is often so striking that it lends itself to easy reproduction. To the house owner of to-day it may seem a little strange that, with the trend of modern improvements, the old houses should be used for this purpose, and the architecture of the master builders of long ago shown preference over that of modern architects who have given their life to this subject. The builders and designers of old houses had to depend on their own ideas or possibly on a few designs that were sent over in the cumbersome ships that plied between England and the new country,—the work of Sir Christopher Wren, one of the most celebrated architects of his day. There are no more satisfactory details of house construction than we find in these old houses, where fireplaces, doors, porches, and carving show individuality. These ideas, modified and improved upon, are found in many a twentieth-century home, lending a dignity and charm that would otherwise be lacking. If you are remodeling an old house and wish to change a fireplace that is unsatisfactory or a stairway that is not artistic in design, do not introduce modern ideas, but rather seek for an old house that is being torn down and from it take bits that will satisfactorily fit into the work of remodeling. It is not a hard matter to find details of this kind, for many an old farmhouse has been neglected so long that it is past redemption, and it is the blending of the old with the old that does much to keep distinctive the period that you are seeking to preserve. Sometimes the house has been badly mutilated, often to such an extent that its best features are disguised, and it is a serious problem to eliminate the wrong ideas and duplicate the original. The old craftsmen before Colonial times were apt to build houses along certain lines which often failed to bring proper results; details varied and sometimes were incongruous with the type of the house. The first houses were generally one-roomed; later, other rooms like units were gathered around it, and the result in some cases was the appearance of a lean-to. Later on came the ell, and, to save steps, chambers were designed on the lower floor, leading off the main rooms of the houses. Naturally in houses of this kind the largest room was the kitchen, for this was the family-living-room, more especially during the cold weather. We will find as we examine an old farmhouse that the dominant portion of the building was the first floor, and that the chambers were adapted to the lower-story plan. These were not always satisfactory, as little or no care was given to the arrangement of the rooms, and in many houses closets were little considered. The partitions between these rooms were not double, like those found to-day, but were made of matched board and accommodated themselves to the framework. Later on plastering came into vogue and this made the rooms warmer and much more habitable. The windows were generally spaced carefully and were in harmony with the front door, making an attractive exterior. The walls were of wood, often with a layer of brick to keep out the cold and also to form a better protection. The roofs, more especially in the early houses, were very steep, since they were planned for thatching; later on, when shingles came into use, they grew lower and wider. It was not until 1700 that the gambrel roof came into style. In considering the evolution of the house we must look backward, and thus we come to realize the progression of architecture. We then discover that every old house shows interesting features, and it is the house with a history that makes its greatest appeal to the antiquarian; while the revival of Colonial architecture brings a renewed interest in the history of that period. There is no more attractive remodeled farmhouse than that of Mr. Roland C. Lincoln, which is a charming, rambling, summer home situated on the Gloucester road half way between Manchester-by-the-Sea and Magnolia. It is a low, yellow cottage, picturesquely placed against a background of trees and nestled on the side of a hill seemingly as if it had been there for centuries. At the front is the ocean, while surrounding it is well-placed shrubbery and artistically trained vines. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/ill_081.jpg" width-obs="600" height-obs="417" alt="The House from the Driveway" title="" /> The House from the Driveway</div> The grounds are just at the left of the main road and separated from it by a low stone wall; the entrance is by a driveway at one side that winds to an entrance porch. All around the house are carefully trimmed lawns and gardens gay with flowers, while the soft expanse of green sward extends to the shadowing trees and the background of forest and rock. The house was built two hundred and fifteen years ago. At that time it stood on the road and was overshadowed by the very oldest house there was in the town, which stood on the crest of an adjoining hill. It then contained four rooms only, each one of which was thirteen and a half feet square. Surrounding the old farmhouse was an orchard of apple-trees that even in the early days gave to it its present name of Little Orchard. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/ill_082.jpg" width-obs="600" height-obs="442" alt="The Angle of the Ell" title="" /> The Angle of the Ell</div> The possibilities of the little cottage, as it stood forlorn by the side of the road, attracted the attention of the present owner, who purchased it, moved it back from the road to its present location, and remodeled it, adding a wing at the left. The old front door was improved by the addition of a semicircular porch which is an exact reproduction of the porch on the White house at Salem, Massachusetts. The side porch was unique and most picturesque in its design. Ivy has been trained to cover the veranda and outline many of the windows. At the rear, facing the garden with its frontage of gnarled apple-trees, we find the veranda or out-of-doors living-room. This is used during the summer months and commands one of the most picturesque views on the estate, overlooking lawns and forest. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/ill_083.jpg" width-obs="600" height-obs="445" alt="The Entrance Porch" title="" /> The Entrance Porch</div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/ill_084.jpg" width-obs="454" height-obs="600" alt="The Stairway" title="" /> The Stairway</div> Entrance to the old house is through the porch, and one finds himself in a most charming hallway, at one side of which is an alcoved recess. This is hung in blue and white Morris paper. Near the front door at the right is the staircase which leads with low treads and broad landing to the second-story floor; it has a hand-carved balustrade with a mahogany rail, while its newel post shows fine carving. Half way up between two huge beams have been placed some wonderful old pieces of china of the Colonial period, and under them is the quaint inscription, a welcome to the home, "In God's hands stands this house, may good luck come to it and bad luck go out of it." The staircase is reproduced from a particularly fine model found in a house in Boston that was originally the home of one of America's greatest statesmen, Edward Everett. It fits into its new surroundings as if it had always been there and is exactly the type one would expect to find in such a house as this. There is a fine old cabinet near the staircase that is considered one of the best pieces in the country. Inside is an entire tea-set of Lowestoft originally brought to Manchester by one of the old sea captains as a commercial venture and placed on sale. It was purchased by the present owner and holds a prominent place in her collection. At the foot of the stairs, inside the front door, the name of the house has been done in burnt wood. Mrs. Lincoln arranged to have this executed while she was traveling abroad and when talking with the workman she told him the story of her remodeled farmhouse and why it was named Little Orchard. He was very much interested in her description, and when the inscription was finished, it bore not only the name, but decorations in each corner of tiny little apples. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/ill_085.jpg" width-obs="600" height-obs="444" alt="The Dining Room" title="" /> The Dining Room</div> At the end of the entrance hall is the dining-room which is long and well lighted by many windows on two sides. This was a part of the original house, enlarged and added to. Here we find the low stud and the beamed ceiling so prevalent in houses of that day. It is hung with a most interesting Morris paper done in pink and blue, and at one end is a recessed sideboard. The upper part of this is used as a china cupboard, while on either side bookcases have been inserted. The furnishing of this room is all of the Colonial period; the chairs are Sheraton, as is also the sideboard. The fireplace is unusually good, being handsomely carved with a basket of fruit as the central decoration. Opening from the dining-room is the living-room, a large, square room with beamed ceiling, a feature being a built-in bookcase at the farther end. On the walls are many original paintings including one by the late William H. Hunt, "Tired of Work." An interesting inglenook is a space-saving device that has been introduced. Underneath the window-seat, studded in brass nails, is the name of the house again, Little Orchard. The reception-room is back of the living-room and shows the staircase of old Colonial design at the farther end. The fireplace was taken from a house which once sheltered General Lafayette. When the house was torn down, the beauty of the carving and the graceful design attracted the attention of the present owner, who purchased it for his remodeled house. When it was brought home, it was found to be almost impracticable, through being so badly worm-eaten; under the hands of skilful workmen, however, it has been thoroughly renovated and is now a prominent feature of the room. The apartment is well lighted by many windows, each one of which is of a different design. These have been perfectly planned, and there is no discordant note. The second story has been so arranged that all the rooms open into each other and also into the hallway. They are of low stud and contain dormer windows. The Colonial atmosphere has been carefully observed, so that new pieces which have been introduced fit in harmoniously with the old ones. Each room has a large, open fireplace with a crane, suggestive of good cheer. The success of this house has been attained through the careful thought of the owners, and it is an example of a charmingly remodeled farmhouse of a type such as one seldom finds. <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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