Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 June 1912 — The American Home [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The American Home

WILLIAM A. RADFORD

Editor

Mr At llhara A. Radford will answ-ei questions and give advice FREE OF COST on all subjects per-al—-ng- to subject of building, for the readers of this paper On account of his wide experience as Editor, Author and Manufacturer, he is. without doubt, the highest authority on all these subjects. Address all inquiries to William A. Radford. Na IT? West Jackson boulevard. Chicago. HL. and only enclose two-cent stamp for reply. The great antiquity of concrete as a building material would justify a search for early examples of its use in architectural expression. , But apparently this remarkable material, which, after all. is only just beginning to reveal its ultimate possibilities, wu used by the ancients only for the baser purposes of piling up masses of masonry, or at best as a backing for stone and marble facings. The first suggestion of its fitness for architectural expression came when builders took the idea of constructing architectural features of cement mortar. There is undoubtedly a fascination about being able to mold so thoroughly a plastic material as cement mortar into any desired form, or even to shape it by hand, while still soft, and so produce creditable work of idecoratrve sculpture. But one invariably suffers a shock on discovering that beautiful stately collonades or arcades and porticos well designed and in style, are not built of stone, but that we are looking at a thin veneer of cement iportar, in short, that they are a mere sham. During this period of development, while architects were being led to adopt new materials, they did hot con cem themselves with the evolution, of design in conformity with their new materials, and it followed quite naturally that no progress was being made toward the realization of a real concrete architecture. In fact no attempt was made in this direction. It would be difficult to estimate

Ruskin’s influence in bringing about a restoration of truthfulness in design While it cannot be said to have extensively effected immediate and tan* gible results, it did set men to rhinking, and in recent years—within the present generation, in fact—this subtle influence is gradually asserting itself, and naturally bringing about a revival of artistic inspiration. It is hard to depart from beaten paths, and men as a rule will not and dare not till some genius carves the way. It is hard to give up the old familiar forms that have become a veritable architectural alphabet, which seems to most of us sufficient for the

expression of our architectural ideals. And now that we have entered on an era of concrete construction with a suddenness that is characteristically American, we cannot expect to throw aside all tradition and make for a new style. That will take time Nevertheless they are coining to recognize in concrete a material that will afford abundant opportunity for originality and individuality, and accordingly bold excursions have been made into the new field, with creditable results. Some of the most pleasing work with this new material has been done in the construction of small bouses. The small cottage or bungalow hae about it something that appeals to the hom-

mg instinct, and when the little house is well designed this Is intensified. Here is displayed a design of a little house that is to be built of frame and plastered on the exterior with cement mortar. We know that houses built in this manner axe cooler In summer and warmer in winter than those I of other construction, and the cost is very little more than that of frame construction. The effect of this design is artistic and it is of such a character as to attract attention, although there is nothing pretentious about it. Such a house will always be salable, and that is something to be considered when settling on a design. It is a one-story house, the width being thirty feet and the length twen-ty-nine feet six inches. The porch is six feet nine Inches by twenty-seven feet six inches. You enter the house by a cosy vestibule and find yourself in a central hall on each side of which are wide doors into the living room on the left and the dining room, on the right. Directly ahead is a, passageway that leads into the bedroom, while access to the kitchen is had through the dining room. Between the bedroom and the kitchen is a bathroom, while in the kitchen a pantry of ample size is provided. This house will look best if built on a corner lot and surrounded with flowers and shrubbery.