There are many attractive features to this ranch home. The one which will gain immediate attention is the beauty of its exterior. Shingle or clapboard is used for the major portion and handsome stone trims the front. The attached garage, topped by a cupola, adds to the long and low appearance which blends so well into any setting. Board siding and a pair of wood pillars make the covered flagstone front porch the center of interest, just as it should be. Another important feature is the variety of entrances which this home has. The front door opens on a center hall, right by a handy coat closet. 

There is a side door which opens on a work saving mud room-laundry-lavatory area. Next to this is the inside door to the two-car garage and since the stairs to the basement are also in this area you will find it easy to accomplish many household chores without tracking up the house itself. The terrace may be reached from the garage or the living room or the master bedroom. Plenty of storage space is essential to a well-run household, and for this reason the garage includes a storage closet and two storage rooms which have double access. 

A well-planned work center, large corner windows facing on the porch, pocket doors at either end for privacy when needed—all these things contribute toward making the spacious family room-kitchen a focal point for informal activities. Glass doors and two big windows add interest to the living-dining room, as does the fireplace with full-width raised hearth. A simple stockade fence, used to advantage, would make an effective screen for the barbeque part of the terrace and create a cozy outdoor dining spot. Each front bedroom has a high double window, trimmed with a window box, and a double sliding-door closet. The master bedroom includes three corner windows, a triple closet and a private bath. This room could be used as a bed-sitting room in any season—relax on the terrace when the weather permits or by the big windows when it doesn't! The location of the family bath and the hall linen closet make both generally useful.

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source: Best Homes, issue 47, 1968

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 There’s something quietly powerful about holding a postcard that has already lived a life before it reached your hands. This particular piece, depicting the Place Fountain in Central Park, carries with it not just an image of a place, but a fragment of a moment—February 22, 1905, carefully inscribed in ink that has softened with time.

At first glance, the scene itself feels almost serene to the point of stillness. The fountain sits at the center, framed by curving paths and gentle greenery, with figures strolling leisurely along the promenade. The composition captures an era when urban parks were not just recreational spaces, but social stages—places where people met, walked, and were seen. The muted tones and painterly quality suggest this was more than a photograph; it was meant to evoke atmosphere, a kind of idealized calm in the growing city.

But the real story begins below the image, where the handwritten message breathes life into the card. “Thanks for last card. Hope to see you on our next meeting, March 2nd. Sincerely…” It’s simple, almost routine, yet that simplicity is exactly what makes it intimate. There’s no grand declaration, no dramatic event—just a small thread of connection between two people navigating their lives over a century ago. You can almost imagine the sender pausing, choosing their words, perhaps seated at a desk or café, the city humming quietly outside.

The date—2/22/05—anchors the card firmly in time. This was a New York on the brink of transformation, a city expanding upward and outward, yet still holding onto the rhythms of the 19th century. Central Park, already a beloved landmark, served as a kind of shared emotional ground for residents. Sending a postcard like this wasn’t just about communication—it was about sharing a place, a feeling, a slice of everyday life.

What makes this postcard especially compelling is the contrast between permanence and transience. The fountain still exists in some form, the park endures, and the city continues to evolve. But the people in the image, the sender, the recipient—their stories have largely faded. And yet, through this small card, one brief exchange has survived, bridging more than a hundred years to arrive in your collection.

In collecting pieces like this, you’re not just gathering objects—you’re preserving echoes. Each postcard becomes a quiet witness, carrying voices that would otherwise be lost. And every time you look at it, you’re not just seeing Central Park as it was; you’re stepping into a conversation that began long before you, and now, in a way, includes you too.

This easy going, easy living ranch house has a well designed floor plan and a very handsome exterior. The major part of the house is covered in wood shakes, random cut stone is used for a trim in the front and ornamental iron work sets off the covered flagstone porch. Gardening enthusiasts will welcome the chance to work with foundation plantings, the enclosed front garden and the wide window box. There are several entrances to the house; through the breezeway from the front walk or the attached garage, through the front door and center hall, or through a rear entrance in the family dinette. This house has three bedrooms, one of which is a master bedroom with a private lavatory, double closet with sliding doors and cross-ventilation. Bedroom 2 also has cross-ventilation plus a triple closet with sliding doors, and bedroom 3 has a large closet and a large front window.

The family bath has been designed with a door to the bedroom hall and a second door to the family room, thus doubling its convenience, particularly for children at play outside. Another feature of this dual bath is the powder room unit with vanity sink which can be closed off from the rest of the bath when guests come. A spacious kitchen at the rear of the house is divided into a cooking area and a family room. In addition to the rear entrance and door to the bath, the family room also has stairs to the basement and a dinette space in front of the double windows. The cooking area is compact and easy to work in and it has lots of cupboards and a broom closet for extra storage. The living room, with decorative trellis, bow window with built-in seat, and fireplace with corner hearth combines with the dining room and breezeway to give you a year round entertainment center.

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source: Best Homes, issue 47, 1968

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A modern bi-level home, in quiet good taste and showing a fine example of what imaginative styling can accomplish. The exterior presents an interesting contrast of planes and angles, shingles and board siding, big windows and a stunning front entrance, which is sheltered by a roof extension. The foyer, which is well lighted, has stairs to the lower level and stairs to the main level. There is a convenient coat closet in the center hall, and a large linen closet near the bedrooms. A two-car garage on the lower level has an inside door that opens near an oversize storage closet and a sunny laundry room. The rest of the lower level is devoted to a great big playroom, complete with windows on two sides, a fireplace, a lavatory and sliding glass doors that open on a play terrace. 

From the terrace there are stairs leading up to a gracious balcony where a second set of sliding glass doors lead into the dining room. Thus there are four separate entrances to the house, a very important factor in safety and convenience. We picture the terrace as an informal play area — a fair weather partner to the family play room, and the balcony, all decked out with potted plants and some elegant outdoor furniture, as a summertime living-dining room. Of course, no matter what the weather, you will cheer the large living room and dining room extension. A pleasure to decorate, a joy to entertain in, with a decorative railing overlooking the foyer and impressive window areas at each end. In the kitchen one corner is reserved for a dinette, the rest is a model of planned efficiency. 

The centrally located family bath has a vanity sink. Bath 2, with enclosed shower, is in the master bedroom along with a walk-in closet and a big window. Bedroom 2 has cross-ventilation, a large closet; bedroom 3 has a double front window and a large closet. If you prefer modern styling, this house will reflect your good taste. 

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source: Best Homes, issue 47, 1968

Gemini AI Rendering

Wood shingle and colorful brick form the perfect background for the handsome lines of this interesting ranch house. The hospitable styling of the exterior gives a good indication of the comfort to be found within. The front door leads from a covered entry to a nicely planned formal area. A closet to one side may be used for coats. If you like, the entire area may be decorated and used as one room. You may also choose to use partial dividers to set apart the dining room. In any event, the whole area will prove bright, spacious and well-proportioned enough to accommodate any formal gathering. 

You might also choose to have a fireplace in the living room as well as in the family room. Opposite the fireplace wall in the family room there is space for informal dining in front of a pretty window wall. A door opens from this room to a screened porch, an optional feature which might be added at a later date and will contribute much to warm weather enjoyment for the entire family. Every bit of the working half of this family room-kitchen has been used for a very practical arrangement of appliances, counters and storage cupboards. A wide window above the sink permits easy supervision of activities in the back yard and the layout of the kitchen also permits easy supervision of children at play on the porch or in the family room. 

Next to the kitchen there is a convenient grouping of facilities—a lavatory, a laundry room with a broom closet and a mud closet as well as an outside entry, stairs to the basement, and an inside door to the garage. Two storage areas along the side of the garage are most useful. All closets in the three bedrooms have space-saving sliding doors and all bedrooms have ample floor space for comfortable furniture arrangement. There is a private bath in the master bedroom and the family bath is divided to include a powder room facility.

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source: Best Homes, issue 47, 1968

Gemini AI Rendering