Lakeside Cottage architecture, pt. 2

Side gable with shed dormer to the street houses, pt. 1

Next to the farm house and two story camp cottage style, I think the side gable cottage with a shed dormer over the porch or set back in the main house must be the most common. Some have been badly mangled; others lovingly restored. Some await a fairy godmother with a fat wallet or good architect. Here are some in excellent condition, probably looking close to the original.


This is one of my favorites--in beautiful condition. Appears to have native stone for the porch and chimney. I'd say this is very close to a bungalow/arts and crafts design because of the chunky porch columns, brackets and window panes in threes. It has a view of the lake, but isn't so close that it gets damaged in Lake Erie's storms. My recollection is that this home has been restored within the last 20 years and has large open rooms and natural floors inside. The bump-out is in the dining room, I think. A storage shed for bikes and yard equipment was added at the back a few years ago (time gets rather compressed here). The shape of the porch columns, the very low profile and the overhang give it an arts and crafts appearance. See the house next to it? That's what I'm calling a Ross Hip until I find otherwise.

Here's another one--very similar, but different. The shed dormer is taller, and seems to be in line with the main house. The porch hasn't been screened, and the entrance is to the side. There is no wide overhang like the traditional bungalow style, but has the windows in threes both on the porch and in the shed dormer. Those molded concrete blocks were very popular in early 20th c., but I don't know if they are original to the house. The roof line is steeper and there are extra peek-a-boo windows on the side to let in more light. Looks like there might be a basement--fairly rare around here because of the rocky ground.

Here's another one in beautiful condition--a real stop and stare cottage. I heard the tour guide say it is a Sears home, and if so, I didn't see a plan in the Sears archives, but not all are shown. It's different than the two above, and I'd call it a classic arts and crafts bungalow, and probably the only one around here. It has a very low profile, windows in three, a very shallow shed dormer (living was meant to primarily be first floor), wide overhangs, brackets, chunky columns, and the flat porch roof isn't a part of the roof of the main house. This has been a beautiful home for the 35 years I've been coming here, but a few years ago had a burst pipe and suffered interior water damage and mold, and had to be totally redone.

Side gable, shed dormer, pt. 2