I would have, then, our ordinary dwelling-houses built to last and built
to be lovely; as rich and full of pleasantness as may be within and
without: ✠✠✠✠ with such differences as might suit and express each man’s
character and occupation, and partly his history.

                                           “Seven Lamps of Architecture”
                                                                 Ruskin

                       THE✠ STORY✠ OF✠ THE✠ HOUSE
BEING SOME SUGGESTIONS IN BRICK-WORK FROM THE CATALOGUE OF O.W. KETCHAM,
WHOSE OFFICE IS IN THE BUILDERS’ EXCHANGE OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA IN
                       THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA.

 “The crowded line of masons with trowels in their right hands, rapidly
    laying the long side-wall
 The flexible rise and fall of backs, the continual click of the trowels
    striking the bricks,
 The bricks, one after another, each laid so workmanlike in its place,
    and set with a knock of the trowel handle”

                 “Song of the Broad Axe”
                     Walt Whitman.

                               COPYRIGHT,
                               1899 ^{BY}
                                 ORMAN
                                 WESLEY
                                KETCHAM

  ILLUSTRATED
  AND ARRANGED
  BY HENRY LOOMIS CURTIS
  WITH QUOTATIONS
  CULLED FROM
  VARIOUS
  SOURCES

  PRINTED BY
  EDWARD
  STERN AND
  CO., INCORPORATED
  PHILADELPHIA
  1899

  FROM PLATES MADE
  BY THE PHOTO-CHROMOTYPE
  ENGRAVING CO.
]

                                CONTENTS

                  PART ONE

                      THE STORY OF THE HOUSE

                  PART TWO

                      MOULDED BRICK FORMS

                  PART THREE

                      TERRA-COTTA FIRE-PROOF MATERIALS

[Illustration: A FOREWORD]

It is the purpose in issuing this brochure to give simply a few
suggestions of what may be accomplished by the use of plain and moulded
brick. Here and there some of the parts such as consoles, pier caps, and
carved portions, are of a necessity made either of terra-cotta or stone;
but as this is a perfectly legitimate combination they are here used.

The brick forms shown in Part Two are only suggestive of the various
shapes in use, as the requirements of architectural design develop an
unlimited number of forms. The facilities are such that any desired
shape or size may be made.

                                PART ONE

                         THE STORY OF THE HOUSE

[Illustration: ILLUSTRATIONS]

                             ILLUSTRATIONS

                I—THE ENTRANCE GATES             Page 3

                II—Y^E HOSPITABLE PORCH               5

                III—THE HALL FIRE-PLACE               7

                IV—AN INGLE-NOOK                      9

                V—THE LIBRARY WINDOW                 13

                VI—MY LADY’S CASEMENT                15

                VII—AMID GABLES AND DORMERS          17

                VIII—AMONG THE CHIMNEY-TOPS          19

                IX—THE LOGGIA AND TERRACE            21

                X—THE GARDEN SUN-DIAL AND EXEDRA     23

[Illustration: THE STORY OF THE HOUSE]

             O fortunate, O happy day,
             When a new household finds its place
             Among the myriad homes of earth,
             Like a new star just sprung to birth,
             And rolled on its harmonious way
             Into the boundless realms of space.

                                 “The Hanging of the Crane”
                                               Longfellow.

               Met, where the guardian wall is wound,
               So subtly are our eyes beguiled
               We see not nor suspect a bound.
               No more than in some forest wild;
               The sight is free as air—or crost
               Only by art in nature lost.

                                       “A Flower Garden”
                                             Wordsworth.

[Illustration: “Where gates should open, or where walls should
compass.”]

                “To thy cool shadows, and to thee,
                When thou to birds dost shelter give,
                Thou music dost from them receive;
                If travellers beneath thee stay
                Till storms have worn themselves away,
                That time in praising thee they spend,
                And thy protecting power commend.”

                                        Lady Winchilsea

[Illustration: And the broad arching portals welcome thy entering.]

            “How beautiful is this house! The atmosphere
            Breathes rest and comfort and the many chambers
            Seem full of welcomes.”

                            “The Masque of Pandora”
                                        Longfellow.

[Illustration: “There is no place more delightful than one’s own
fireside.”]

                “Shut in from all the world without,
                  We sat the clean-winged hearth about,
                Content to let the north-wind roar
                  In baffled rage at pane and door,
                While the red logs before us beat
                  The frost-line back with tropic heat;
                And ever when a louder blast
                  Shook beam and rafter as it passed,
                The merrier up its roaring draught
                The great throat of the chimney laughed,

                 “While the red logs before us beat
                   The frost-line back with tropic heat;”]

                 The house dog on his paws outspread
                 Laid to the fire his drowsy head,
                 The cat’s dark silhouette on the wall
                 A couchant tiger’s seemed to fall;
                 And for the winter fireside meet,
                 Between the andiron’s straddling feet,

                 The mug of cider simmered slow,
                 The apples sputtered in a row,
                 And close at hand, the basket stood
                 With nuts from brown October’s wood.”

                                         “Snow-Bound”
                                           Whittier.

               “Oh for a booke and a shadie nooke,
               Eyther in doore or out;
               With the grene leaves whispering overhead
               Or the streete cryes all about.
               Where I maie read all at my ease,
               Both of the newe and old;
               For a jollie goode booke whereon to looke,
               Is better to me than golde.”

                                       Old English Song

[Illustration: Where I maie read all at my ease]

       “In yon red gable,
       Which the rose creeps round and o’er, your casement shines
       Against the yellow west.”

                           “Good-night in the Porch”
                                     Owen Meredith.

[Illustration: “But under them a sunny garden lay:”—]

              “It was a pleasant mansion, an abode
              Near and yet hidden from the great highroad,
              Sequestered among trees, a noble pile,
              Baronial and colonial in its style;
              Gables and dormer-windows everywhere.”

                                  “Lady Wentworth”
                                      Longfellow.

[Illustration: “Gables and dormer-windows everywhere.”]

              “First in the dusky dawn he sends abroad
              His early scout, his emissary, smoke,
              The earliest, latest pilgrim from his roof,
              To feel the frosty air;”—

                                                  Thoreau

[Illustration: “Sir, he made a chimney in my father’s house, and the
bricks are alive at this day to testify it.”]

              “The sunbeams dropped
              Their gold, and, passing in porch and niche,
              Softened to shadows, silvery pale, and dim,
              As if the very Day paused and grew Eve.”

                                        “Light of Asia.”
                                          Edwin Arnold.

[Illustration: “And, passing in porch and niche, Softened to shadows.”—]

                   “Horas non nurmero nisi serenas.”

                   “Only the sunny hours
                               Are numbered here,—
                   No winter-time that lowers,
                               No twilight drear.
                   But from a golden sky
                               When sun-beams fall,
                   Though the bright moments fly,—
                               They’re counted all.”

                                       “The Sun Dial”
                                             Stedman.

[Illustration: “Only the sunny hours are numbered here.”]

[Illustration: HERE ENDETH PART ONE]

                                PART TWO

                          MOULDED BRICK FORMS

  “This vast ball, the Earth, was moulded out of clay and baked in
    fire.”

            “Michael Angelo”
                Longfellow.
]

[Illustration: CLAY PRODUCTS]

While these suggestions are mainly to illustrate the use of moulded
brick, they but partially represent the line carried, as all clay
products known to the trade are handled, such as:—

                     Ornamental Terra-Cotta,
                     Hollow Tile Fire-Proofing,
                     Terra-Cotta Roof Tile,
                     Fancy and Moulded Front Brick,
                     Enameled Brick,
                     Paving Brick,
                     Fire Brick, &c.

If you do not find what you desire among these sketches possibly it may
be found among the moulds at the factory, or if not, such will be made
if ordered in sufficient quantity. All known colors and effects,
including the ordinary red pressed shapes, can be obtained.

[Illustration: RELATIVE SIZES OF BRICKS:—“_Short Roman_” is standard
length, Roman thickness, “_Flemish_” is Standard length on each side,
“_Norman_” is Roman length, Standard thickness.]

[Illustration: HEADER PROFILES:—Starters, stops, external and internal
angles, and mitres made where required.]

[Illustration: HEADER PROFILES:—continued.]

[Illustration: HEADER PROFILES:—continued.]

  RADII, ANGLE AND PIER BRICK:—No. 224 = 12″ Radius
                                 „ 225 = 15″   „
                                 „ 230 = 3′-0″ „
                                 „ 232 = 4′-0″ „
  No. 112, 119, 140, 218 bond with themselves in forming columns or
    piers.
]

[Illustration: STRETCHER PROFILES:—External and internal angles, and
mitres made where required. No.’s 370, 371, 376, & 378 may be used for
pilasters.]

[Illustration: BASE MOULDINGS:—External and internal angles made. These
forms maybe used in cornices and string courses.]

[Illustration: BASE MOULDINGS:—continued.]

[Illustration: SILL BRICK:—for window sills, sill courses, wall copings,
&c. “A” suggestion for wide sills.]

[Illustration: SILL BLOCK AND COPING BRICK.]

[Illustration: JAMB BRICK:—for window and door openings. Special
construction made for flat lintels. Mitres made where required.]

[Illustration: JAMB BRICK:—continued.]

[Illustration: REEDED AND FLVTED BRICK:—For bands and string courses,
and pilasters; External & internal angles, starters & stops made. #430
for pilaster necks and cornices.]

[Illustration: DIAMOND PATTERNS:—Adapted for string courses, ornamental
bands, and as a field for large surfaces.]

[Illustration: ORNAMENTAL BRICK.]

[Illustration: PANEL BLOCKS:—may be used for bands, diaper-work,
friezes, and ornamental effects.]

[Illustration: HERE ENDETH PART TWO]

                               PART THREE

                    TERRA-COTTA FIRE-PROOF MATERIALS

  “Houses are built to live in, not to look on, therefore, let use be
    preferred before uniformity, except where both may be had.”

              “Essays—of Building”
                            Bacon.
]

[Illustration: FIRE-PROOFING]

It is no longer a question of experiment:—that of thoroughly protecting
iron and steel structural work. Terra-cotta has proved itself superior
to all other materials in use, in maintaining its original position
during fire, thereby thoroughly protecting the structural work, as has
been demonstrated at recent conflagrations. The forms in general use are
floor arches, partition blocks, column and girder coverings, furring
tile, ceiling and roofing blocks; while special forms can be made when
required. Estimates for the furnishing of material, either delivered or
erected, will be given; also full information in regard to plans or
specifications if desired.

[Illustration: FLOOR ARCHES:—“A” segmental arch; “B” & “C” flat
arches—“C” regular side construction; “B” end construction, lighter in
weight than other forms and carries a heavier floor load.]

[Illustration: Partition Blocks, & Girder Coverings:—Made of any desired
size or thickness, either hard or porous, and scored for plaster unless
otherwise ordered.]

[Illustration: Furring Tile:—for exterior walls. Made in blocks as shown
at “A” and separated at building—of any desired thickness, hard or
porous, scored or smooth.]

[Illustration: Book Tile:—for Roof and Ceiling construction. Made 3″
thick 12″ wide and in lengths up to 24″. Special sizes made if ordered
in sufficient quantity.]

[Illustration: Column Coverings:—Circular or Elliptical, of size or
thickness to suit requirements, hard or porous, scored unless otherwise
ordered.]

[Illustration: Column Coverings:—Square, octagonal, or any flat sided
shape. Conditions same as stated previously.]

                          TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

 1. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in
      spelling.
 2. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed.
 3. Enclosed underlined font in _underscores_.
 4. Denoted superscripts by a caret before a single superscript
      character or a series of superscripted characters enclosed in
      curly braces, e.g. M^r. or M^{ister}.