No matter how you slice it, the elevation, the hedge, and shooting into the sun made picturing this snug Plainfield bungalow a challenge. |
Though they could sometimes be capacious, most bungalows, including Plainfield's hundreds of examples, were modest, snug little homes, with a relatively low-ceilinged second floor to which the kids were often consigned and a prominent porch across the front.
Drawing inspiration originally from Indian examples (in Hindi, the name meant 'in the Bengali style', see here) of low buildings with wide verandas, American bungalows echo those two criteria, as can be seen in today's Hidden Plainfield example. Or, rather, could be seen, if the hedges were cut somewhat lower, and Dan wasn't always shooting into the sun.
Here is an example quite like today's home where you can see the veranda and arrangement of the facade more clearly.
You can get a better idea of the facade and veranda from this example found on the Web. |
3 comments:
Not sure where this one is, but I am a huge bungalow/ arts & crafts movement house fan, and Plainfield has some excellent examples throughout the city, which don't seem to be recognized as much as our Queen Anne homes, etc. Bungalows face teardown threats throughout the country given their small footprint, but they are often very efficient, well-constructed, and use space well. There are communities which actively promote their bungalows clusters, and there are people who look to buy them, so maybe a cross-district bungalow tour of Plainfield should be considered!
Sometimes I rely on the "lay of the land" to give me a clue about a house's neighborhood. Kenyon and Madison Avenues near Stelle have houses whose front walkways require steps. So do some houses in Sleepy Hollow, but usually more than what is featured here when they do. There is a bungalow between Randolph and Stelle that I would pick, but it is 50/50 guess whether it is on Madison or Kenyon.
Sign me up for such a house tour. I live in Ct. and would drive down just for such a thing.
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