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SlieHome Transformed
D. T. HOFFMAN, to whose New Hampshire home THE FARMER'S
MRS.
WIFE is a welcomed visitor, has sent us this illustrated story showing the
series of transformations through which her home has come since it
became the property of its present owners.
Photographs 1 and 2 show the old farm house—it was built in 1840—as it was
when Mrs. Hoffman first saw their purchased possession. She says:
"Picture No. 2, minus the piazza, was the first impression I caught of my new
home. For a moment the little blue devils had possession of me. I determined
to have that impression photographed so that, in the inevitable moments of
discouragement, we could look back and see to what extent we had succeeded.
The series of photographs are a truthful record of our accomplishments."
First (Picture No. 2) the piazza was added and in the blank wall facing the
reader, a window cut—see Nos. 3 and 5—to let the glorious view of the setting
sun into the livingroom.
Picture No. 3 shows the unsightly end torn down and begun to be replaced
with new aiding.
No. 4t The f inished product of the f armhouse as it looks today with
the addition of shrubs and Carolina poplar trees which were planted
because of their rapid growth.
No. 5s The bare look without trees and shrubs.
No. $: The improvement of trees, shrubs, paint and well-kept lawn.
No. 7: Front of house in detail. In ref erence to picture 1, note the improvement
of 8 x 24-f oot piazza, and f ront door between the two
f ront windows, f acing the road.
No. 8: The old f ront door. According to New England custom, many of
these f arm houses had the gable end f acing the road and main entrance
on the side of the house.
No. 9: At back of house the vine covered kitchenette door with cement
stone steps.
No. 10: The Carolina poplars and shrubs.
So much for externals.
Mrs. Hoffman tells us briefly of other improvements:
"The first thing my husband did was to lay pipes from the spring and install
a force pump. People had lived in this old house for seventy years without the
initiative to get water in the kitchen sink and had carried it by pailfuls up a
10-foot terrace.
"The north side of the kitchen had only one window. We removed the two
upper panels of the front kitchen door and inserted a glass, 25 by 31 inches.
"We repaired the fallen kitchen ceiling with composite board nailed over plaster
and painted white. Next we laid down a hard maple floor. The walls were
scraped and an "oilcloth" paper in blue and white tile, was put on. Woodwork
was painted light blue.
"Two small bedrooms were converted into one large livingroom—see window
in Picture No. 3.
"Picture No. 1 shows no front entrance facing road. No. 7 shows the added
door and piazza.
"Picture No. 9 shows the former owners' front door, only used on formal
occasions. A glass panel in this door transformed a queer little, dark box entrance
into a sunny room which Baby had for her playroom. Now it is my ideal summer
kitchenette. A cement step, 4 by 6 ft. replaces the ancient rotting log.
"The pictures from No. 1 to No. 10, show part of the transformation from an
ugly, rapidly-decaying place into a comfortable, convenient and much-admired
farm home."
Mrs. Hoffman states that she was inspired to send us this interesting illustrated
story of The Home Transformed by reading the series of articles from Mrs.
Adeline B. Whitford, Making the Most of Our Rooms, which began in
the September issue of THE FARMER'S WIFE and are still
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continuing.
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