"A Modest Place"

When the Coolidges left the White House, architects cocked their ears. They knew that the Coolidge home in Northampton, Mass., was in a two-family house on a sidestreet. They also knew that Calvin Coolidge, national champion of economy, was one of the few men to leave the White House with much larger capital assets than when he entered it. In his first year as a private citizen his magazine writings have even more improved his finances. Last week architects' ears went down again as Calvin Coolidge made his first large expenditure; bought a $40,000 home on the edge of Northampton, paid cash for it.

"A modest place with a little land," he described The Benches into which he and Mrs. Coolidge will move next month from Massasoit St. Set on a nine-acre wooded tract through which flows a private trout stream, the 16-room house was designed by Manhattan Architects Murphy & Dana in 1914 for Henry Noble MacCracken, then Professor of English at Smith College, now president of Vassar. Morris L. Comey, textile manufacturer, bought it from Dr. MacCracken. His widow sold it to Citizen Coolidge.

Newshawks demanded an inspection of The Beeches. At first Mrs. Comey refused them entrance. Mrs. Coolidge explained: "Really, it's Mrs. Comey's home still." Later Mrs. Comey relented, led 14 newsmen through the house, let them gape at the wine cellar in the basement, the billiard room in the attic, the sweeping outlook across meadowlands to Mount Holyoke and Mount Tom. The press inspectors rode up and down in the self-operating house elevator, stared speculatively at the outdoor swimming pool and tennis court, strolled through the ivory-tinted living room, the pinkish dining room, the bedroom suites.

Explained Citizen Coolidge: "We needed more room to entertain our friends suitably. Also the place will make our dogs more comfortable." Citizen Coolidge did not mention the opportunity he will now have to cart out of storage the 19 truckloads of furniture, souvenirs, bibelots, books, cowboy hats, jackknives et al brought from the White House (TIME, Feb. 25, 1929).

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