t losing the spirit of the original
in either the exterior or interior. The wings and ells which were added
by succeeding tenants often bear little relation to the main building
and must either be torn down or harmonized in some way to preserve the
unity of the completed design. The general plan of the house and the
arrangement of the rooms should be carefully observed before the house
owner and architect undertake the task of remodeling. Too many houses
are disappointing because a study has not been made of the different
types and periods of old houses, and the result is a mixture, neither
one thing nor the other.

Old Colonial houses were always built on the rectangular plan, as this
provided the greatest amount of enclosed space with the least
expenditure of labor and material. They were also constructed about an
axis, and it is essential for the remodeler to determine what that axis
is before making any alterations.

In the earliest days, the chimney was the center of the building and
dominated the plan. The various rooms opened around it, so that as many
of them as possible could have a fireplace from the one chimney. It was
consequently a huge affair and occupied about three fourths as much
space as one of the rooms. In the first plans, there were usually but
two rooms, a kitchen on one side and a parlor on the other. Later, a
room was built in the back for the kitchen, and a third opening made in
the chimney. The narrow stairs were built in at the front to fit into
the chimney space and generally ascended with two landings and turns at
right angles.

As a late development, about the time of the Revolution, four equally
large rooms were needed, and this one chimney was divided into two and
placed on either side of the center of the house, so that in each of the
main rooms there was a fireplace opening front or back from one of the
two chimneys. This arrangement altered the position of the stairs, and
stairs and hall became the central axis of the house. The proportion of
the space allotted to them, however, remained about the same as when the
chimney had occupied the center. This accounts for the wide Colonial
halls, which are such a charming feature of old houses. The stairs were
built along one side, the length of the hall, often a perfectly straight
flight without turn or landing, and the hall was frequently cut clear
through to a door in the back, which formed a rear exit to the garden.
The Georgian houses