population of only three hundred. Of the houses built along the old highway, a part are fortunately still standing. These were built before the town was a town and are very good but simple examples of the classic revival. They were evidently built by car
penters who came from the East, and the mouldings all have unmistakable Greek profiles, and were, of course, planed out with hand planes. This was the day of the old-fashioned carpenter shop, when sashes, doors and blinds were run by hand, and pinned and tenoned together. Great pine forests in
close proximity furnished the finest of clear white pine, and the excellent condition of these houses, many of which have been innocent of paint for a generation or more, is eloquent of the conscientious workmanship and good material employed. Exam
ples of this period are the old Crane house, built in 1854, the Buckeye Tavern in 1849, and the original Methodist Church in 1856.* There was little building during the war, and what little there was still maintained the traditions of the Classic Revival. Immediately after the war, with the revival of building, came new fashions of many varieties. There was the Cottage style, apparently inspired by a style-book issued by Robert Downing, with numerous plans and elevations of cozy cottages. Their principal characteristic is the sharp peaked roof, a vertical outside siding, with the joints covered with battens, narrow porches and narrow windows and narrow hallways. The details are ordinarily Gothic, and the style is, of course, related at least by marriage to the Gothic Revival. A very good
example is Rest Cottage, the home of Frances Willard, built in 1866.
Exactly contemporary with this fashion was the Mansard Roof style. This fashion is apparently French in its origin, and was used for the houses of the rich. The captains of finance, who made their money in the nearby metropolis, lived in more or less old-time splendor in the adjoining suburb. These
*A curious eddy in the architectural stream is indicated by the old Round House. In 1854 a book was published by Mr. O. S. Fowler called “A Home for All, or The Octagon Mode of Building.” This book proved, at least to the satisfaction of the author, that a house of circular or octagonal plan not only had the smallest amount of outside wall space for the area of the enclosed rooms, but also resulted in a building more conveniently arranged and more elegant than the prevailing Cottage or “Doric’’ style of building, of which he was especially scornful. A number of these octagon houses had been built throughout the country, so Mr. Fowler, who was also an author of numerous works on phrenology, seems to have had a number of disciples. The house in question was built by some theological students in the University, whose chosen profession did not prevent them from filching a cargo of lumber which had been washed ashore from the wreck of a schooner on the Gross Point reefs. The building had various vicissitudes—it was moved once the length of the town, much to the discomfort of the moving contractor, who discovered that the supposedly lumber house was in reality concrete covered with siding. The stairs of these houses were also in a well in the center, which was lighted by a cupola, and the rooms presented an amazing variety of triangles, octagons, and trapeziums. The old building was torn down in 1889.
CLASSIC REVIVAL. THE CRANE HOUSE
BUILT IN 1845
THE BUCKEYE TAVERN ON THE OLD STAGE ROAD. CLASSIC REVIVAL, 1848
THE OLD ROUND HOUSE. BUILT IN 1856
Wood Siding on Concrete Walls
penters who came from the East, and the mouldings all have unmistakable Greek profiles, and were, of course, planed out with hand planes. This was the day of the old-fashioned carpenter shop, when sashes, doors and blinds were run by hand, and pinned and tenoned together. Great pine forests in
close proximity furnished the finest of clear white pine, and the excellent condition of these houses, many of which have been innocent of paint for a generation or more, is eloquent of the conscientious workmanship and good material employed. Exam
ples of this period are the old Crane house, built in 1854, the Buckeye Tavern in 1849, and the original Methodist Church in 1856.* There was little building during the war, and what little there was still maintained the traditions of the Classic Revival. Immediately after the war, with the revival of building, came new fashions of many varieties. There was the Cottage style, apparently inspired by a style-book issued by Robert Downing, with numerous plans and elevations of cozy cottages. Their principal characteristic is the sharp peaked roof, a vertical outside siding, with the joints covered with battens, narrow porches and narrow windows and narrow hallways. The details are ordinarily Gothic, and the style is, of course, related at least by marriage to the Gothic Revival. A very good
example is Rest Cottage, the home of Frances Willard, built in 1866.
Exactly contemporary with this fashion was the Mansard Roof style. This fashion is apparently French in its origin, and was used for the houses of the rich. The captains of finance, who made their money in the nearby metropolis, lived in more or less old-time splendor in the adjoining suburb. These
*A curious eddy in the architectural stream is indicated by the old Round House. In 1854 a book was published by Mr. O. S. Fowler called “A Home for All, or The Octagon Mode of Building.” This book proved, at least to the satisfaction of the author, that a house of circular or octagonal plan not only had the smallest amount of outside wall space for the area of the enclosed rooms, but also resulted in a building more conveniently arranged and more elegant than the prevailing Cottage or “Doric’’ style of building, of which he was especially scornful. A number of these octagon houses had been built throughout the country, so Mr. Fowler, who was also an author of numerous works on phrenology, seems to have had a number of disciples. The house in question was built by some theological students in the University, whose chosen profession did not prevent them from filching a cargo of lumber which had been washed ashore from the wreck of a schooner on the Gross Point reefs. The building had various vicissitudes—it was moved once the length of the town, much to the discomfort of the moving contractor, who discovered that the supposedly lumber house was in reality concrete covered with siding. The stairs of these houses were also in a well in the center, which was lighted by a cupola, and the rooms presented an amazing variety of triangles, octagons, and trapeziums. The old building was torn down in 1889.
CLASSIC REVIVAL. THE CRANE HOUSE
BUILT IN 1845
THE BUCKEYE TAVERN ON THE OLD STAGE ROAD. CLASSIC REVIVAL, 1848
THE OLD ROUND HOUSE. BUILT IN 1856
Wood Siding on Concrete Walls