Putting a House on a Hill - or How to build a house in 1913!

[RandomGrinch]

Following on from a recent thread (talking about the benefits of keeping old books), I was remembering books from my childhood.
A set of books fondly remembered, but sadly missed, was "The Children's Encyclopedia", by Arthur Mee.

.... So, I had a look around eBay, and bought myself the full ten volume collection (probably from the interwar years).

Flipping through the pages, I came across a section that I had completely forgotten - "Putting A House On A Hill"
This is a short picture story of how Arthur Mee built his own house (...or had his house built ) in 1913 - Eynsford Hill

EYNSFORD HILL AND ATTACHED TERRACE WALLS, MASONRY, STEPS AND GAZEBO, Eynsford - 1389649 | Historic England

List entry 1389649. Grade II Listed Building: Eynsford Hill And Attached Terrace Walls, Masonry, Steps And Gazebo. May include summary, reasons for designation and history.

historicengland.org.uk

I hope this is of interest to some

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Well, Mr Mee built house house in the same way a lot of people on Grand Designs do...

Surely you mean that he has his house built? Strikes me that the guy must have been very wealthy

I love the tied pole scaffolding (often Douglas fir or larch). I have a book which includes details how to build it (together with how to erect stagings for cranes)

 

[RandomGrinch]

Surely you mean that he has his house built?

Edited for you
...and the most significant change in over a century - hard hats, rather than flat caps!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

...and the most significant change in over a century - hard hats, rather than flat caps!

Oh, I don't know, how about no machinery or power tools? Or no safe scaffolding?

 

[mrrusty]

I didn't realise they used cow hair in the plaster. For some reason I thought it was only horsehair. Love the old electrical gear - 1913 was very early for electrical installations. Don't think electricity came to our village until early 30's In 1920 it seems only 6% of houses were wired up (quick google).

The "furnace" (strange how they have kept that term in US, and we now use "boiler") seems very small. When I was a nipper, for a time we lived in a flat in a huge very old house that had been divided up in to 7 flats. (house belonged to the company my Dad worked for, and they were company flats) In the cellar was a monster boiler that each flat had to take turns to look after week by week. I remember a black hole of a cellar accessed from outside, with this thing that seemed 10 feet tall standing in it that had to be kept fed with coal. Mind you, everything seems 10 feet tall to a 6 year old.

I love these old articles. I've got some practical householders and DIY mags from 50's. 'Twas a different world then.