The Character of the Lessons. — It is not intended to vie
with the courses in Household Art given in the Technical
Schools ; nor to present information to be given out to
pupils as a set of directions for making a beautiful house ;
but simply and solely to suggest to the teacher in the
elementary school how she may help her pupils to know
the meaning of the house beautiful, the house that will be
the exj)ression of Avhatever intelligence and cultivation the
circumstances of their lives have made it possible for them
to obtain.
A Preface Suggested. — I should preface the lessons with
a brief talk on the evolution of the modern house and the
family social life. This should be quite general and in-
formal. The object is not to give archaeological knowledge ;
but simply to stimulate the intelligence and curiosity of the
pupil and to create an interest in comparing the present
with the past.
TOPIC I
The Construction of the House
The First Essential. — Emphasize the fact that the first
conditions of beauty are health and wholesomeness, and
that a healthful, beautiful location, good construction, perfect
drainage, perfect plumbing, and perfect sanitary conditions
generally, are indispensable to the house beautiful.
6 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE
The House Plan. — Talk with the pupils about the gen-
eral plan of houses in their town or city. Have them
sketch the ground plan.
The plan presented in most cases will probably be the
typical city house with the long entry, as indicated in Dia-
gram 1. But in many of the newer houses the long entry is
dispensed with, and a portion of the lower floor space taken
for a small central hall, as indicated in Diagram 2.
Question the pupils as to the position of water and gas
pipes and house drain ; the height of cellar above ground,
the height of rooms ; position of the house in regard to the
points of the compass (to determine which rooms get sun-
light) ; the kind of floors, and other woodwork.
Let them make diagrams of the other floors. Sketch the
plans on the blackboard.
Indicate what improvements may be made in the ordinary
house plan in the way of providing greater conveniences for
the housekeeper, better accommodations for servants, a
simplified arrangement of the plumbing about a central
shaft, in order to dispense, as far as possible, with hori-
zontal pipes, and anything else that will make this a house
practical and comfortable.
All this can be made very simple and intelligible to
young girls. A house plan of the simple character here
suggested (a diagram, or outline of the floor plans without
elevation) is no more difficult to deal with than an ordinary
problem in mensuration, and the line of thought suggested
will ultimately result in a better understanding of domestic
architecture and a consequent demand for improvements
in it.
Until women are educated in these things builders will
not cease to depend on loudly decorated walls, mantel
overshelves with wonderful combinations of little balus-
trades, looking glass and cheap mouldings, stationary
THE HOUSE BEAUTIFUL i
wardrobes with glued-on ornaments, and otlier such surface
attractions, to sell or rent houses that have poor woodwork,
bad floors, and worse plumbing. And legislation on sani-
tary matters can never be made thoroughly operative until
women understand the principles of sanitation and enforce
the laws in the home.
Page 7
Presented as published in 1900. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The Character of the Lessons. — It is not intended to vie with the courses in Household Art given in the Technical Schools ; nor to present information to be given out to pupils as a set of directions for making a beautiful house ; but simply and solely to suggest to the teacher in the elementary school how she may help her pupils to know the meaning of the house beautiful, the house that will be the expression of whatever intelligence and cultivation the circumstances of their lives have made it possible for them to obtain.
A Preface Suggested. — I should preface the lessons with a brief talk on the evolution of the modern house and the family social life. This should be quite general and informal. The object is not to give archaeological knowledge ; but simply to stimulate the intelligence and curiosity of the pupil and to create an interest in comparing the present with the past.
TOPIC I
The Construction of the House
The First Essential. — Emphasize the fact that the first conditions of beauty are health and wholesomeness, and that a healthful, beautiful location, good construction, perfect drainage, perfect plumbing, and perfect sanitary conditions generally, are indispensable to the house beautiful.
The House Plan. — Talk with the pupils about the general plan of houses in their town or city. Have them sketch the ground plan.
The plan presented in most cases will probably be the typical city house with the long entry, as indicated in Diagram 1. But in many of the newer houses the long entry is dispensed with, and a portion of the lower floor space taken for a small central hall, as indicated in Diagram 2.
Question the pupils as to the position of water and gas pipes and house drain ; the height of cellar above ground, the height of rooms ; position of the house in regard to the points of the compass (to determine which rooms get sunlight) ; the kind of floors, and other woodwork.
Let them make diagrams of the other floors. Sketch the plans on the blackboard.
Indicate what improvements may be made in the ordinary house plan in the way of providing greater conveniences for the housekeeper, better accommodations for servants, a simplified arrangement of the plumbing about a central shaft, in order to dispense, as far as possible, with horizontal pipes, and anything else that will make this a house practical and comfortable.
All this can be made very simple and intelligible to young girls. A house plan of the simple character here suggested (a diagram, or outline of the floor plans without elevation) is no more difficult to deal with than an ordinary problem in mensuration, and the line of thought suggested will ultimately result in a better understanding of domestic architecture and a consequent demand for improvements in it.
Until women are educated in these things builders will not cease to depend on loudly decorated walls, mantel overshelves with wonderful combinations of little balustrades, looking glass and cheap mouldings, stationary
wardrobes with glued-on ornaments, and other such surface attractions, to sell or rent houses that have poor woodwork, bad floors, and worse plumbing. And legislation on sanitary matters can never be made thoroughly operative until women understand the principles of sanitation and enforce the laws in the home.