Wheaton Holden, professor of architectural history at Northeastern University, was an expert on Kragsyde’s architects, Peabody & Stearns. (But Kragsyde was "resurrected" in 1982 on Swan's Island, off the Maine coast — by a former tour guide at Woodlawn and her carpenter husband. After The ocean-facing side of Kragsyde shows the many dormers, chimneys, and windows that help make it such a distinctive structure. In a matter of weeks he gave us copies of the plans and all the relevant photographs and drawings he’d amassed in his years of research. Kragsyde was demolished in 1929, two years after Black's death, but interestingly, a copy has been built, reversed from the original plans, on Swan's Island, not 25 miles from Woodlawn. I was intrigued by her own story and connection to George Nixon Black and his beloved Kragsyde—by the impact each has had on her and how both have motivated her to preserve and create. If dogs are allowed and a fee is charged, Maine state sales tax of 9% applies." 1.1K likes. Also note that pricing are subject to a 9% State of Maine sales tax. I was studying graphic arts and photography, but on that day I was awaiting the delivery of several books for an art history project. Out & About | New England Events for March/April 2017, Walks Worth Their Salt | New England Ocean Walks, A Walk That Says Maine | Ogunquit’s Marginal Way, The Picture-Perfect Stroll on Plum Island, Stepping into Another World | Bluff Point, 2016 “My New England” Photo Contest | Winners & Runners Up, The House That Changed Everything | Kragsyde. Built between 1883 and 1885 for Black, bachelor heir to a fortune from his father’s Boston real-estate deals and a grandfather’s trade in Maine lumber, it was situated on the edge of a six-acre parcel of land with a 70-foot cliff over- I love Massachusetts! In fact, we never went back to the Boston Public Library to see the plans; with the help of Wheaton Holden, there was no need. The couple located a Northeastern University professor who also admired Kragsyde and had the blueprints. A special feature of this edition is the letterpress printed cover and title page, hand printed on 100% cotton paper at the author's studios at Saturn Press in Maine. The House at Lobster Cove will always rank as one of my all time favorite books. But our search was brief: Ten minutes after we entered the Manchester Historical Society, we learned from the docent, Frances Burnett, that Kragsyde had been torn down in 1929. 1 review of Swan's Island Charters "Taking a chartered cruise around the waters of Swan's Island Maine with Captain Jason Joyce is a must-do on your vacation here. It's a great story; if you're intrigued, you need to read this.) Welcome to Swan's Island, Maine . Access by canoe or our passenger ferry across the Kennebec River to your remote getaway... close to home. Yet even though I never laid eyes on those original elevations, I know every line of the house. For the most part, they used the same materials found in the original—with a few slight upgrades. . A lifelong love of the 19th century has inspired her work as a designer, builder, printer, and storyteller. The young couple purchased a two-acre piece of land on Swans Island in 1979 and set about creating their dream house. SWAN'S ISLAND LIBRARY In July 2011, construction of a new library was completed offering residents and visitors a state-of-the-art building. The library site is on the right. Best Dining in Swans Island, DownEast and Acadia Maine: See Tripadvisor traveler reviews of Swans Island restaurants and search by cuisine, price, location, and more. I picked up "The House at Lobster Cove" after reading a piece written by author Jane Goodrich in a recent issue of Yankee Magazine. The next day in the Boston Public Library, we encountered our first reality. A bathroom featuring a Victorian cage shower and a mural by Goodrich. Contact Maili Bailey at m21bailey@beeline-online.net. Swans Island is quiet compared to the bustle of Bar Harbor. Jane Goodrich is a native New Englander who writes from an island in Maine, in a room that sits above Kragsyde's famous arch.A lifelong love of the 19th century has inspired her work as a designer, builder, printer, and story-teller. At the same time, Goodrich found herself becoming increasingly fascinated with George Nixon Black, the original owner of Kragsyde. to see more. There is a general store with a moderate … From our signature handwoven blankets and throws to knitting yarns and apparel, we are determined to create objects of beauty and utility in authentic and earth-friendly ways here in Maine. I first met Kragsyde in an old box of books my father brought home. Ferry: "M/V Captain Henry Lee" Destinations: Crossing between Bass Harbor and Swan's Island Crossing Distance: 6 miles Crossing Time: 40 minutes Fares: View Fares Mainland address for ferry to Swan’s Island: Bass Harbor Terminal, 45 Granville Rd, Bass Harbor, ME 04651. It’s a true ghost town in Maine. We often talked about the house he hoped to design and build for us. Goodrich and van Pernis live in an exact replica of Black’s Kragsyde “cottage” on Swan’s Island. How could I not, after building it, after laying the rafters of those familiar roof lines, and mixing the mortar for the enormous chimneys? Lynn Jolicoeur Author Jane Goodrich fell in love with the original Kragsyde home, built on the coast of Manchester-by-the-Sea in the late 1800s, at 12 years old. The sepia photo, held in my hands for the first time, was both a daydream and a seed. Seven years later, in 1979, I was working in a sunny window in my college library. But then it occurred to them they could rebuild it for themselves, by themselves, up on the Maine coast. “You might want to call the man who donated the plans,” the librarian suggested. If Kragsyde was a seed planted in my childhood, it was Wheaton Holden who watered it. One day I hope to visit this fascinating house. We could look out the fanciful windows and walk under the fabulous, legendary arch, and we had built them ourselves. of flowers. Kragsyde. We became more excited about our own house plans as we drove, devising ways in which elements of the style could be incorporated into our own house. I look forward to reading Jane’s book, “The House At Lobster Cove.”. I know both its past and its present. “We’re going to rebuild Kragsyde!” I told him over the phone when I reached him that day. Home to roughly 350 year-round residents, visiting Swan’s Island feels a bit like stepping back in time. I’d love to see this house! In a small diner in Manchester, James and I ate lunch and commiserated. By 1982, when I graduated, we’d saved as much money as we could, built a little model of the house, and bought an affordable seaside property in a too-small town in Maine. What a great accomplishment! an amazing story for the romantic in all of us. For who can ever expect the sudden place, or glimpse, or turn of the page that will change everything? Author contact: houseatlobstercove@earthlink.net Media contact: SGMA@ aol.com The huge shadowed porch where Black played billiards, where I today hang a hammock, and the bow window where I find a sunny place for a blue and white bowl Sadly, he passed away in 1993 but his wide range of work, including documentary films, scholarly essays, and perhaps most importantly, the quiet and humble sharing of his knowledge to help others reach their goals, remains his legacy. Lynn Jolicoeur Twitter Producer/ReporterLynn Jolicoeur is the field producer for WBUR's All Things Considered. Download the 2021 Swan's Island Schedule Goodrich and Beyor with their bulldog Gus (who has, alas, passed on since the photo was taken). But on this island near Bar Harbor is an architectural landmark: Kragsyde. And in that seeking, she recalls, a bit of ephemera floated up from the past: It came from the Manchester Historical Society, and from the pen of Frances Burnett, the docent who was the first person we met on our long journey. The original Kragsyde was demolished in 1929. Narrative Structure . A 40 minute ride on the ferry from Bass Harbor. I studied them all, but even then my eyes could discern the masterpiece: Kragsyde. They did so in Maine, on land they purchased on Swan’s Island, which is home to lobstermen and summer folk, mostly. What an amazing couple! It was built on the coast of Manchester-by-the-Sea in the late 1800s. Swan's Island Charters, Swans Island, Maine. Swans Island is located Down East along the rugged Maine coast nestled close to Acadia National Park. Seven years later, in 1979, I was working in a sunny window in my college library. Lobster Cove, she tells her real-life story of encountering Kragsyde and then building the extraordinary replica now perched on Swan’s Island, Maine. The ocean-facing facade of the Swan’s Island house, which marries the vision of original Kragsyde architects Peabody & Stearns with the passion of Jane Goodrich and James Beyor. I realized while reading the article that we had visited the press they own/met the owner while touring Swan’s Island many years ago on vacation with our girls. It was an easy first step to our mutual complaints that the world of 19th-century beauty was slipping away, to be replaced by the cheap and poorly crafted. 207-244-3254 Schedule. what a wonderful article cousin jane!!!! Kragsyde. For more information on Nixon Black and his Boston homes, here’s my blog post on The Many Homes of Nixon Black: http://bit.ly/2o1yeWA. They used pictures and drawings of the original Kragsyde to figure out the layout. Swan's Island Ferry. Points Of Interest On Swan's Island . My father, Wheaton A. Holden took such delight at helping this young couple fulfill their dream of rebuilding this glorious house. And the names: Grasshead, Sunset Hall, Wave Crest, Seabright. As an educator, he was also no doubt accustomed to youthful exuberance and possessed the wisdom to foster it. It took 10 years of research on this elusive man to realize his life was as romantic and compelling as the house he occupied, and that his was a story worthy of being told.… The curious thing was how in searching for Black, I also found myself. This is the big one – and tragic both historically and artistically. When she discovered that the house had been demolished 1929, she vowed to resurrect it on Swan's Island, Maine, which planted the seed for this project. Once again, the attraction was instant. Total one way from ferry: 0.9 miles. When the stack slid off the library cart, the top volume, I know how the shingles travel the eaves, and where the snow builds up in those valleys. Maine's finest handcrafted home textiles, apparel, and knitting yarns, since 1992. We never thought about our jeans and longish hair, or our obvious poverty, when we entered the rare-book area where the plans for Kragsyde were housed. “The building plans can still be found in the Boston Public Library,” Ms. Burnett told us, consolingly. I took them to the site of the old house and told them it had been torn down. The House at Lobster Cove is her first novel.. Click on picture . Swans Island Company has crafted bespoke textiles on the Maine coast for 25 years. Completely beguiled, I clipped the photograph from the book and pasted it into a scrapbook. Beaches, the house at Lobster Cove is her first novel Kragsyde bedroom used by George Nixon Black, French... Him over the phone when I reached him that day field producer for WBUR 's Things! 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