On returning from a long journey in the South and West, I have read your note to us of December 1st. Mr. Codman is attending to the matter of the plan, and I only wish now to make one observation. You write as follows:-

“Your ideas are very sound as to the width of lots, but occasionally we are liable to sell to a party who is perfectly able to pay for the things you mention, and he is the one who wants the room.”

It is evident from your saying this that you still do not quite understand our ideas. Our entire plan is based on the conviction that, under the circumstances of the case, the settlement will, in the end, be a great deal more attractive if it produces very distinctly the impression of a community in which the private dwellings are brought as closely together as practicable, without appearing crowded, and without an absolute denial of any private grounds about the house, while each family is allowed equal enjoyment of more extensive pleasure grounds held in common. We consider that, with this object, you cannot, at any price, afford to allow any single family to monopolize a large extent of ground as private property. The expense of providing so large an extent of public ground, including the ornamental waters, as you propose to provide, can only appear justified when you shall have this ground surrounded by as large a number of family residences as is practicable. Any single large place will be an injury in this respect to the general effect desired, and, considering the question to be in a great degree one of the effect of what is seen upon the imagination, we do not think that you can afford to have wide lots, even if you [238]

“Design Map of the Village of Lake Wauconda in Perry Park, Douglas County, Col.,” Mar. 28, 1890

Yours Very Truly.