As to the fitness of what you are going to do at Montauk it has to be considered from two opposite points of view—one being that of the great natural landscape as seen from the proposed cottages; the other that of the aspect of each cottage and of the settlement as a whole in respect to suitability and attractiveness in itself.

Much the most powerful impression of the scenery is to be had from the higher ground. Every cottage placed on the lower ground would not only be an injury to it but the cottage seen under these circumstances would appear lonely, bleak, incongruous and unsuitable.

By placing the cottages as I have proposed along the hillsides, you avoid the first objection wholly, and through the appearance of companionship and mutual support gain a great advantage in respect to the second.

All this I pointed out to you and I also argued the value of fences and outdoor furniture in manifesting the fact of family and domestic independence in the constituents of the community. What I did not explain sufficiently is that all my advice (as to the general design) had in view also the esthetic advantage which is always gained in placing a richly intricate body of detail upon a field of great breadth and simplicity. To secure this you need the two elements of unity (to be served in this case by an obvious close association and connection of the different houses) and of intricacy (to be served by variety in the patterns of houses and the outdoor furniture which will more or less occupy the spaces between and before them.)

But there is something to be gained also by the same means with respect to the landscape from the cottages. Without forming any essential obstruction to the view seaward, appropriate objects in front of them will serve the purpose which leads painters to desire to bring emphatic fore-ground features into pictures; that is to say to soften the middle distance and give increased effect of aerial perspective to the back ground.

I shall hope to see a certain continuity apparent between each house and the road, so that the design of the house may seem to be supported and carried out in the arrangment of approaches, hand rails, fences, shrubbery, trellises &c. Each private ground being thus furnished there will, in general effect, be a connection between it and the next on each side, and the unity of the community more fully expressed.

When you come to choice of lots to be built upon, it will be well to have compactness of settlemnt a little in view, avoiding unnecessary vacant lots, and it will help the desired effect if the Association will undertake at once to form a continuous fence along the entire street line.

This may be in part a hedge, in part a low trellis, to be overgrown with [556]

View of Montauk Association cottages, designed by McKim, Mead, and White, Montauk Point

The advantage of the wall is that, made of the neighboring field stone, you are sure at once of a thoroughly respectable & satisfactory result, modest and appropriate to the circumstances, while with hedges and vines the effect desired will be delayed and the result not perfectly certain.

I write this however not to urge any special measure so much as to commend certain principles to {be} had constantly in view.