Developement of the Summer Cottage on Mackinac Island

Excerpted from View From the Veranda, by Phil Porter "The summer cottages on Mackinac Island reflect a variety of Victorian architectural styles which fall into two broad categories. The earliest cottages are small and modest. They employ simple plans and restrained ornamentation, and their designs came from pattern books or the imagination of the local builders. The later cottages are larger and more decorative. The homes were usually designed by trained architects and they more closely resembled traditional Victorian styles. Floor plans were arranged so that the cottage was conducive to entertaining. Large living rooms and porches dominated the front of most cottages. They were designed to flow together and suggest openness. This was the entertainment center of the cottage. The availability and transportation of materials also determined the building's appearance. All building supplies had to be brought to the island from the mainland. Indigenous limestone was occasionally used for the foundations and retaining walls, but it was impractical for major construction. The early Mackinac Island cottages were small and inexpensive. Cottagers chose styles from the popular architectural pattern books or relied on the time tested designs of the cottage builders. The ornamentation was light and simple; based on Gothic Revival patterns as they were interpreted by a local carpenter. The surge in growth which the cottage communities experienced in the 1890's was characterized by the use of the Victorian Queen Anne architecture. This style represents a break from the box-like, symmetrical gothic cottages by emphasizing variety and irregularity designed to create a more picturesque appearance. This effect is achieved by the use of different surfaces and textures, a multitude of various shaped roofs and an endless array of polygonal towers, belvederes and wide verandas."