This is the source code tarball from debian:
freetype1_1.4pre20030402.tar.gz
repackaged as freetype1-1.4.tar.bz2

The included patch can be used if desired. It adds extra configuration
options for various machine architectures. As usual, the debian
directory adds some useful information.

freetype1_1.4pre20030402-1.1.diff

I compile and install this packge into /opt/freetype1-1.4 to avoid
conflicts with the freetype2 libraries, headers and binaries.
This means that you need to add /opt/freetype1-1.4/lib to your
/etc/ld.so.conf file so the libs can be found, or link to them manually
at compile or run time.

Configure with --enable-static -many programs that need the libs
include them statically.

To cause the least conflicts, the doinst.sh script here doesn't add the
/opt/freetype1-1.4/lib entry to /etc/ld.so.conf.
If you wish to do this by default, use the alternate doinst.sh in the
Resources directory, or add the entry manually and then run 'ldconfig'.

Then when you configure and compile software that needs these libraries,
pass the options to configure, ld and make that will link to these libs.

Some packages that need freetype1 will only need the static '.a' libs to
compile and don't need the shared libraries at runtime.

This works at compile time for static compiles:
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/freetype1-1.4/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH make

If you have software that needs the freetype1 shared libraries at runtime,
but don't want to fully 'install' freetype1, then run the program with 
the LD_LIBRARY_PATH set up:
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/freetype1-1.4/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH programname

To integrate freetype1 and freetype2:
It's probably best to put the entry in ld.so.conf *after* the entry for
the directory where freetype2 is installed. This means the freetype2
libraries get found first.

Programs that compile including only the static libs can be run normally
on systems where fretype1 is not installed.

You can use a wrapper script to setup the environment and run the program
with any arguments like this:

#!/bin/bash
# wrapper for MyProg

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/freetype1-1.4/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH exec MyProg "$@"
exit 0
#end