Daniel Burnham of Burnham & Root, urban planner, visionary architect, one of the creators of the skyscraper, designed only three buildings in New England---Filene's Department Store in Boston, the Kent Memorial Library in Suffolk, Connecticut, and this shingle style summer cottage in Bar Harbor, designed in 1885 for Miss Violet Whitaker.
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| 'The Moorings', entrance facade |
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| 'The Moorings' ocean facade |
The cottage, located on Eden Street, did not have a long life. In the early 1900's, It was purchased by the Honarable Mrs. Alfred Anson, formerly Mrs. J.J. Emery, whose own much grander cottage, 'The Turrets' (click
Here for more), designed by Bruce Price in 1895, was immediately adjacent to the North. Mrs. Anson had the Whitaker cottage demolished, and in its stone foundation built a sunken garden, with pool and fountain in center, balustrades manufactured by E.E. Soderholtz (click
Here for more about Soderholtz). The curved foundation of the stair bay on the entrance front became a niche with curved stone bench. After Mrs. Anson's death in 1953, 'The Turrets' was abandoned for many years, and the garden became overgrown and ruinous. After the estate was purchased as part of the College of the Atlantic campus, the garden was excavated and semi-restored. Unfortunately, in recent years, the foundation became unstable, and rather than being rebuilt to design, has been replaced by terraced retaining walls.
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| A fuzzy polaroid, taken in 1969, of the abandoned garden built in the foundation of 'The Moorings' |
5 comments:
The front of this house has some nice elements, but the ocean side is just downright strange. Mr. Burnham could have done much better with all of those balconies. As it was, they looked like a lot of chicken cages.
Anonymous, I tend to agree with you. Definitely not one of his groundbreaking buildings. And, interestingly, virtually identical to another house he designed in Montclair NJ, so one has to say he rather telephoned in this one.
All the Soderholtz pieces are fantastic. I cannot tell you how much I need a Boboli urn.
Hello:
We cannot help but think that, on balance, the architecture of the original cottage was lacking in any distiction save that of being eclectic. That it has disappeared completely is a loss, but how great a one?
A pity about the garden but such is the fate of so many gardens - certainly here in Europe although we cannot speak for America.
John, if only you could see one of the pieces in person. Your desire would yet triple.
Jane & Lance Hattatt, complete accord.
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