E-Book Overview
Mount Desert has been one of America's favorite tourist destinations for over 150 years. As early as the 1840s, the lush landscape of this island on the Maine coast attracted artists and writers, who soon made Mount Desert's beauty famous with their paintings and publications. The stream of tourists that began traveling to the island after the Civil War prompted a building boom of cottages, hotels, and various buildings in Bar Harbor and other towns in the vicinity. Fred Savage (18611924) was the most influential architect in the development of Mount Desert and northeastern Maine, designing over three hundred buildings. Richly illustrated with archival drawings, photographs, and newly commissioned color photography, Maine Cottages presents all of Savage's most important works while placing the life and career of this architect in the larger context ofMount Desert.
E-Book Content
!
Maine Cottages !
Fred L. Savage and the Architecture of Mount Desert John M. Bryan Photographs by Richard Cheek
Princeton Architectural Press, New York
Dedicated to Charles Butt who has restored Fred L. Savage’s shingle-style masterpiece Rosserne, and whose generous support made possible this study of the architect’s life and work.
Published by Princeton Architectural Press 37 East Seventh Street New York, New York 10003 For a free catalog of books, call 1.800.722.6657. Visit our Web site at www.papress.com. © 2005 Princeton Architectural Press All rights reserved Printed and bound in China 08 07 06 05 5 4 3 2 1 First edition No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher, except in the context of reviews. Every reasonable attempt has been made to identify owners of copyright. Errors or omissions will be corrected in subsequent editions. All photographs © Richard Cheek unless otherwise noted. Frontispiece and page 15: Sunset over Somes Sound, Mount Desert Island Pages 4–5: Harborside, Northeast Harbor Project coordination: Jan Cigliano Editing and layout: Nicola Bednarek Design: Jan Haux Special thanks to: Nettie Aljian, Janet Behning, Megan Carey, Penny (Yuen Pik) Chu, Russell Fernandez, Clare Jacobson, John King, Mark Lamster, Nancy Eklund Later, Linda Lee, Katharine Myers, Lauren Nelson, Jane Sheinman, Scott Tennent, Jennifer Thompson, Joseph Weston, and Deb Wood of Princeton Architectural Press —Kevin C. Lippert, publisher Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Bryan, John Morrill. Maine cottages : Fred L. Savage and the architecture of Mount Desert / John M. Bryan ; photographs by Richard Cheek. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-56898-317-4 (alk. paper) 1. Savage, Fred L., 1861–1924—Criticism and interpretation. 2. Cottages—Maine—Mount Desert Island. 3. Architecture—Maine—Mount Desert Island—19th century. 4. Architecture—Maine—Mount Desert Island—20th century. I. Title: Fred L. Savage and the architecture of Mount Desert. II. Savage, Fred L., 1861–1924. III. Title. NA737.S325B79 2005 728'.37'092—dc22 2004025905
Contents 10
Foreword by Robert R. Pyle
12
Acknowledgments
16
Introduction
Chapter I 18
Foundations
20
Savage’s Ancestors and Mount Desert
26
Artists and Tourism on Mount Desert
32
Recreation, Education, and Moral Development
36
Rusticators Come to Northeast Harbor
42
Savage’s Architectural Training
46
The Earliest Drawings by Savage
Chapter II 60
Northeast Harbor, Islesboro, and the Shingle Style (1887–1900)
62
Savage and Stratton, Architects
70
The Shingle Style
76
Savage’s Early Work in Northeast Harbor
128
Stylistic Diversity