Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/920

 7-18 2 he Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal. [June, and a proportionate determination to up- hold aWl defend it against all invading influences. Such a man is of necessitj' — we might say selfishly, a good citizen ; for he has a stake in the great game of society, and will watch the course of the players with a jealous cautiousness that none but an interested man can feel. It is obvious, then, that the true policy of every community is to advocate and advance the comfort of the working class, which is its foundation. And therefore it becomes all to have a per- sonal interest in this matter for the reasons given. Such interest can be best subserved by the conjoint effort of the community, to forward and make known the means by which the working class can be put in possession of dwell- ings suitable to their comfort and pro- ductive of that honest pride, which is inherent in every breast, springing from the consciousness that his homestead, though diminutive compared with that of his richer neighbor, is nevertheless worthy of notice, and may have its features of beauty quite as palpably as can the bedizened villa or the gaudy city mansion. Tenement dwelling buildings are at best but a barricaded nuisance, often, too often, a necessity in our densely populated cities. In such cellular struc- tures the room keeper can never feel that independence which is to be found in "one's own cottage;" for in the one case he is but a fraction, in the other he is a whole unit. The tenement house, or building, is a human conglomerate, compressed into the smallest possible living space, that one man may grow rich upon its very capacity for discom- fort. The plans and elevations which we present in this number of the Review, are calculated to suit the modest wants of the workingmen's families. Space is made available as far as it is possible, and external appearance is studied with a view to add as much economical prettiness as the limit of means will allow. This row of cottages presents in its collected form, an air of respecta- bility such as combination is so sure to give. The description of the plans is as fol- lows : The two end cottages have A, the Hall, leading into B, the Living-room ; C, the Kitchen, with its range ; D, the Pantry ; E, Closet ; F, Bed-room in the right-hand one ; but in the left, E, is a closet off of kitchen, and the entrance, A, is at the side, and is sheltered by a porch over which the room up stairs extends. The intermediate cottages are, as shown, little less capacious, and not at all less convenient than those of the ends. Each has its entrance door wholly distinct from and out of sight of its neighbors. The closet at the back of the hall might have a borrowed light in the wall dividing it from the kitchen. The basement of this row of cottages is intended to be raised two feet six inches above the level of the ground, and be- neath the whole will be ample cellarage. This secures dryness to the cottage, be- sides presenting the greatest comfort which can accompany any dwelling ; namely, capacious and well-lighted cel- lars. The chimney shafts are furnished with terra-cotta caps, which may be selected of any desirable pattern. In the eleva- tion the engraver has shown an open porch on the right end cottage, similar to that at the left end ; but it should be a blank, as a reference to the plan will at once suggest to the reader. This block of workingmen's cottages may be built in brick, with wooden or stone trimmings; or of rubble masonry, with freestone trimmings ; or a very pleasing appearance could be made with vertical boarding, or clapboarding alter- nated with ornamental shingling, painted a different color from that of the clap- boards. The effect produced would be a very pleasing one, and render the block a desirable addition to aivy sub- urbs.