An architectural monograph on some old houses on the southern coast of Maine . or the custom of often confining the architec-tural treatment to the fagade alone, leaving theother elevations largely to take care of them-selves, and also for the different surface treat-ment of fagades to imitate stone antecedents,while the ends were frankly clapboarded or attimes built of brick. The classic styles originated in wood, the col-umns were tree-trunks, the facias boards, themouldings cleats: and the reversion to wood inAmerica was the most natural thing in the world. cess of material, their charm bei
An architectural monograph on some old houses on the southern coast of Maine . or the custom of often confining the architec-tural treatment to the fagade alone, leaving theother elevations largely to take care of them-selves, and also for the different surface treat-ment of fagades to imitate stone antecedents,while the ends were frankly clapboarded or attimes built of brick. The classic styles originated in wood, the col-umns were tree-trunks, the facias boards, themouldings cleats: and the reversion to wood inAmerica was the most natural thing in the world. cess of material, their charm being that of simpli-citv without crudeness, based upon proportionsobtained from the books of English masters. The work in New England, somewhat moreindigenous than elsewhere in the States, wasmore refined in its detail than elsewhere. Thereis more attention paid to entasis of columns, tofineness of fillets, to subtlety of curved profilesto mouldings. The fact is interesting, for Eng-lish detail was less careful in contrasting sec-tions, and in delicacy and avoidance of monot-. THE SMITH HOUSE, WISCASSET, MAINE. Extremely well proportioned, having almost monumentalquality. There is a good portal behind the storm porch. The style was going back to its original ancestryand in doing so became delicate and refined. Forthere is nothing so manifestly absurd as an ex-cessive use of bulk of wood, both for estheticand structural reasons. The classic woodenarchitecture of New England gives evidence of avery intelligent use of the material, which wasmaintained after the Georgian style in Englandbecame heavy and dull and cumbrous. Thatthis is largely due to an appreciation of thepossibilities of wood, and of white pine espe-cially, is constantly manifest. Seldom in thesehouses of the earl) nineteenth centur} is there ex- ony. A comparison of Virginian Colonial detailswhich were derived at a better period directlyfrom England justifies this statement. It is known that many of the New Englandca
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectarchitecturedomestic
