advantageously. For instance, to be able to say that Lafayette, on his
extensive old-age visit to the United States, was entertained in a
house may be just the right romantic touch that will close the deal.

With such an old house, the dealer generally quotes a price for it
dismembered and ready to be moved to its new site. Since the cost of
transportation varies with the distance, the trucking charge is
customarily given as a separate item. In general, the dealer will
undertake delivery at a lower figure than any one else. Also, such a
dealer or an associated contractor will set a sum at which he will
re-erect the structure on the new site. Since he is accustomed to
working with old materials and knows just what problems he faces, his
price will be lower than the combination of the cost of the old house
and the price set for its rebuilding by a contractor unfamiliar with
such work. The latter, to protect himself from unforeseen
contingencies, must naturally add a proportionately large sum to his
estimated cost.

The exact cost of an old house re-erected on a new site cannot be
given offhand. There are too many elements to be considered. How
extensive are the changes, how many baths, what type of heating
system, are only a few. All are important factors that must be
determined before the final figure can be set. So, the prospective
buyer must have patience and understanding. Also, he should have his
architect prepare plans for the work with just as much thoroughness as
if it were a new building. To the layman it may all seem very
complicated but to an architect who knows his old houses, it is no
more difficult than new work. He begins by making a careful set of
measured drawings of the old house as it stands. He examines the
fabric to determine what sills, beams and other parts are unsound and
must be replaced. He takes as many photographs of details of the
construction, both inside and out, as seem expedient and labels the
prints explicitly so that they relate directly to his plans. Later,
when rebuilding is under way these snap-shots will refresh his memory
and make it easier to explain some special feature or unique
construction to workmen who never saw the house before.

Dismembering houses for re-erection is accomplished by two methods.
The more common is taking them apart board by board and timber by
timber, marking each piece by a system of numbers and colors so that
it can be returned to its proper place. Th