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PETERSON’S MAGAZINE.

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DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE: ANTIQUE CHIMNEY—PIECES. BY

CHARLES

J.

PETERSON

stance, we fall behind the middle ages.

The old

characterizes this nineteenth cities of France, Germany, Italy, and even Eng Oentury, frequently runs into land contain antique houses, to which nothing hoastfulness. We claim to he ; now erected can be compared. Nor is it for superior to the past in all their exteriors only that these dwellings are so things, when, in many things 'remarkable. Their paneled, or vaulted cham

we have really retrograded. here, are not less picturesque than their quaint In the picturesqueness of our 3 gables, or quainter windows.

But in nothing is

domestic architecture, for in- i the decline of" domestic architecture more striking than in the chimney-pieces of modern times. Formerly, this portion of an

apartment was always more or less imposing. Now, especially where hot air fines are used, it. is wholly ne glected. To show how picturesque many of these old chimney—pieces are, we have caused several to be engraved from drawings made on the spot. The first is particularly rich and elaborate.

It occupies the head of a paneled apartment, and reaches, as will be seen, to the ceiling. It violates, it is true, the classical canons of archi

tecture, but it is not the less pic turesque on that account; for there is a freedom and originality about it often wanting in designs that are more slavishly correct. The carvings of this chimney-piece are particularly

rich.

Its age is not less than two

centuries. What jests have been told, -what songs sung, what flirtatious car ried on, in front of this antique fire , .place! How, at Christmas time, the great logs must have roared ,and

crackled up the chimney!

It is one

merit of these old firesides, that, to an imaginative mind, they are full of the poetry of the past, full of hallow

ow nwusn "senses.

Von. xxxv._12

ing associations.

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