e of the building this
gives a most unusual effect as there is a chimney directly over a
window, having no apparent support, or even purpose. The lines of the
pyramidal base conform to the slope of the roof.

CHAPTER VII

BOULDER FARM

The remodeling of an old farmhouse is apparently a simple matter; it
would at first seem necessary only to preserve the main lines and
characteristics of the original in the alterations that are required to
meet the conditions of modern life. But when one realizes that the less
conspicuous details are also important, in order to maintain the
essential harmony of the whole, it becomes a more intricate proposition.
One cannot merely study the details already on the building and
slavishly copy them for the new parts, because frequently it will be
found that doors or windows or shutters have been added by more recent
owners and are not really in keeping with the old structure at all. In
order to reclaim the house, then, so that it shall have a consistent
unity throughout, one must have some understanding of the evolution of
these details.

There is no more significant element in these old Colonial houses than
the front door. It was placed in the center of the front wall and
formed the unit of the exterior design. The very early doors were of
heavy oak boards placed vertically and fastened together with horizontal
strips. These batten doors, as they were called, were made very sturdy
and strong, in order to resist attacks from Indians or other marauders.
Often they were marked with an awl into diamond and lozenge patterns and
sometimes studded with hand-wrought nails. Not for a good many years did
the panel door come into use. At first it was a flat panel, flush with
the sides of the door and separated from the sides and top only by a
small bead molding. This was soon developed into the flat sunken panel,
meeting the surrounding wood with several moldings; and then the panels
were beveled and raised in the center, and the moldings gradually became
more elaborate and delicate in outline. The early doors were solid for
purposes of protection, but as the country became more settled, thick
bull's-eye glass was inserted into the top horizontal panel to let light
into the hall. As the interior plan was changed in its evolution, the
hall became larger, and these bull's-eyes did not provide sufficient
light, so the transom was introduced over the door. For some time a
simple top light was