John Melbourne Rich House III - Original House Plans

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John Melbourne Rich House III - Original House Plans

John Melbourne Rich took the design for his new house in Tremont from Design 24 in the 1888 version of Palliser's "New Cottage Homes and Details."

The Pallisers showed two versions of Design 24. One, a modest house without a tower, and one, a showpiece with tower that could be built for a "cost of $1,700." For this amount one received, "plans, elevations, details and perspective view of a comfortable, convenient cottage home of six rooms, with tower which is designed to command a view of the surrounding country where erected."

John Melbourne Rich chose the showy tower version with which to command a view of Tremont. He probably did not pay $1,700 for the plans, being an experienced builder, perfectly capable of building what he wanted by looking at the plans in the prospectus.

John Melbourne Rich built his house in 1896.

"John Rich [1853-1919] whose house was burnt a short time ago near Duck Cove, has bought a house-lot near the bridge on the west side [of Bass Harbor] and will build this fall. He is digging the cellar now." - The Ellsworth American, September 10, 1896.

George Palliser, Palliser, Palliser & Co.

Penn State University Press, 2000, p.97-110.

Tremont

ME

USA

1888

Reiff, Daniel D, Houses From Books – Treatises, Pattern Books, and Catalogs in American Architecture, 1738-1950: A History and Guide