Description William Forrester House

The specifications for the home of William and Helen Forrester.  The house was probably built around 1912 after William Forrester purchases the lots. This house still stands in fine condition on St. Andrews Street, Pictou, NS. 

Specifications for house for Wm Forrester

Size of building 30 x 24 with bay window 6 x 3 and veranda on front, height of ceilings lower floor 9ft. upper floor 8 ft to be built as per plans.

Sills                        to be good sound lumber 4 x 8 in centre summer 8 x 8

Joists                     20 in centres to be 2 x 8 on both floors, lower joists to be sized to 6 in on sills and left full mitre on summer second floor.  Joists to be well fastened to outside walls in centre of building.  Attic joists to be 2 x 6 to be boxed on plates 1 in and extend outside of plate 13 in. to receive projection.

Posts                     Corner posts to be 4 x 4 posts in centre of building 4 x 6

Girts                      to be 4 x 4 morticed into posts, wall studs 2 x 4 plates 4 x 4 rafters to be 2 x 6

Boards                  Walls and roof to be covered with good sound hemlock or spruce, lower floor to be covered with boards even thickness  attic to be floored with rough boards

Shingles               all shingles to be clear cedar

Clapboards         to be good clear spruce or pine.

Finish                    to be good clear spruce   base to be 7 in wide with cap   a belt to round around building at top of windows 6 in wide with moulding on top edge to project singles.  Walls to be clapboarded to top of first windows and shingled from that to frieze, back moulding on door and window frames, tar paper to be used on walls under shingles and clapboards

Projection           Ends of top floor joists to project, outside plate to receive finish plancier to be 12 in  facia 8 in facia to run to top of roof, boards and shingles nailed on edge, 4 x 6 spouting to run all round building, water to be led to back of building and led to ground with conductors

Roof                      to be covered with clear cedar shingles 4 ½ in to weather   Hips to be shingled   qutters to be close shingled with zinc in joints  all shingle nails to be cut galvanized  rafters to be 1/3 pitch  2 feet centers.

Floors                    Lower floors to be 7/8 tongue grove on top of hemlock floor.

Floors                    to be good clear seasoned spruce second floor to be 1¼ in tongue and grove   paper to be put between lower floors.   Hall to have hardwood    floor attic to be floored with rough boards.

Partitions             to be studed with 3 x 3

Doors                    to be good clear seasoned pine lumber 1½ in thick size on first floor 6-8 x 2-8 second floor 6-6 x 2-6   front door to be made with three narrow panels in lower half and frosted glass on upper half.   All doors to be filled with good serviceable mortice  lock and butt hinges.

Windows             to be two lights lower floor size of glass 30 x 30 in   Second floor 28 x 28 window in front of parlor size of glass 50 x 40 ft

Stairs                     to be built according to plans to have hardwood newel post at bottom and small post at landing with hardwood rail and balustrades, in kitchen to be painted white, finish in kitchen to be buff color   Lattice work to be painted dark green   bathroom to be wainscoted 3 ft 6 in good clear spruce to be finished bright

Inside door set capital

Mortice latches 3099

Mortice knobs 300

Back door knob 4500

Back door lock 217

Ball tip steel butts all through

Sash locks - - 26

(Front door sett about $3.00, Solid bronze plate)

 

James W McKinnon, Pictou, NS