Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 121, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1917 — HOME TOWN HELPS [ARTICLE]

HOME TOWN HELPS

SIMPLICITY IN NEW HOUSES Great Progress Made in Architecture f in Recent Years With Tendency Toward Hdmelike Structures. The present decade of the twentieth century is a fortunate period in housebuilding. Lucky are -the- peopte who build, and lucky. are the architects. Compared with the 1880 period, or the IS9O, or even the 1900, the present disciples of the’ are indeed fortunate, says an authority on home architecture. Many people who builtls years ago would give a great deal if they could tear down and begin all over again, and doubtless there are architects who wish that their twenty-year-old dwellings were like card houses —easy to demolish and rebuild. Great strides have been made in this country within the past decade in everything pertaining to house-nnrking.-Surely the number of beautiful houses of moderate cost springing up all over the country would turn the rankest pessimist into an optimist, so far ns our architectural prosperity is concerned. Whether of rough cast, halftimbered, clapboards, shingles or solid concrete. these homes express certain pies -as- truly— a4-f—built of one material. Whether located East or West they have certain points In common. Simplicity is a threadbare word, yet no-other has been Invented to take its place and, in our own language at least, it has no synonym. Sincerity also may be applied to these houses. Other terms come to mind, such as “livable,” “homelike” and “appropriate.” No house is successful unless it Is adapted to the needs jf the owner; no bouse is successful unless the architect has used the material best fitted to its design. It seems to us that-oh these two points the present-day architect is superior to his predecessors.