FOCUS ON ARCHITECTURE COASTAL MAINE'S SHINGLE STYLE Across the generations, Maine's seaside towns have maintained traditional family gatherings and coastal cottages. Some things never change- or do they? By Lavonne Carlson magine summer on the coast I the obvious feature adorning of Maine a century ago. Boats these grand homes that and trains delivered travel- Mainers commonly call "cot- lers to the watering holes, fa- tages," hence their architec- thers accompanied their fam- tural name, the Shingle style. ilies for an entire summer free Today's buyers are respond- of the city's concerns, and a ing SO positively to its gracious full entourage of household design that the Shingle style servants unloaded trunks has become a popular selling packed with all the necessities point in Maine's coastal mar- for a civilized summer: linens, ket. silver, and white summer "The Shingle style fulfills suits-the only appropriate the fantasy of what people will Shingle style architects were influenced by tradi- tional designs, as Tudor- style undertones (far left) reveal. But they playfully stretched the limits of dress for lawn sports and boat- find in Maine," explains Judy tradition, as seen in their ing. Nannies watched the chil- Kehl of Harbor Realtors in Kit- love of detail in the or- dren surfbathing (now called tery Point. "It's traditionally nate gables at left. The swimming) in the inlet beach- what you see along a rocky style's Japanese aspects es along the family's coastal coast. People have a renewed are also apparent in mod- property, while adults played sense of Victoriana-it helps ern Shingle style homes croquet, tennis, and golf on them to participate in that link (above). Opposite: The the huge lawns of their sum- with the past. A property with homes were designed to mer "cottages," grand estates the right look has ties to histo- blend into their rocky en- of 15 to 30 rooms for frequent ry and an intangible value. virons; their colors, as out-of-town guests. The waterfront Shingle style tive when they first appeared well as their curves, re- Although not what con- definitely has very strong in- over one hundred years ago. flect their seaside sur- temporary onlookers would vestment potential-built in Like the 1960s, the 1860s were roundings (near right). At consider quaint, the'cot- the 1880s, the first ones got a time when Americans ex- far right, the style shows tages" definitely seem roman- the best views." pressed a renewed apprecia- new depth added to tic-spacious, airy and deli- Now considered the quin- tion of the environment and stauncher forms. cately decorated with many tessence of coastal Maine, the sought to preserve nature. In curved windows. Shingles are cottages were quite innova- particular, architects wanted 70 / UNIQUE HOMES Photography by Joseph Viesti APRIL / MAY 89 misnomer still used to refer to MA the Shingle style. Despite its varied influ- ences, the Shingle style is a uniquely American creation. For instance, examples of the style from Maine blended their designs into the environment by embodying the craggy topography of the coastline and using shingles to match its natural colors. Shingles also expressed a new American in- terest in a building's exterior surfaces. Wood houses from the Gothic period on were to create a unique style of de- built with sturdy timber sign that would reflect the frames which were left ex- American landscape. posed on the outside; covering a home's exterior with shin- Back to basics gles gave it a softer, more flow- The Philadelphia Expo of ing look. Additionally, porch- 1876 introduced international es-an entirely American in- design concepts which Ameri- vention-gave the flat cans had never seen up-close surfaces of the Gothic house before, and that inspired them new depth and dimension. with ideas for an American Added depth was also style. U.S. architects especially achieved symmetrically in the admired an exhibit of a typical well-defined rooflines that Japanese home for its open liv- punctuate the Maine coast, ing area. Similarly, they were while the fluidity offered by inspired by the British archi- shingles was reflected in an in- tects' use of great halls, which triguing variety of curved win- had evolved stylistically from dows including Palladian, eye- Elizabethan to Queen Anne, a brow and bay windows. In- APRIL/MAY 89 UNIQUE HOMES/71 side, elaborate entranceways ance from the front. shire, with similar growth." a rate of 10-12% for the past opened to huge central rooms With the recent increase in Modern Mainers three years, prices are leveling which usually contained mon- year-round employment in off but continue to increase at umental stairways leading to Although most luxury Portland, the demand for luxu- a slower rate. According to the second story. The central home owners are secondary ry housing has led to newly- Rob McCumber of Island Real- great room with a fireplace buyers who, like their forerun- constructed houses and con- ty in Bar Harbor, upper end provided the family a gather- ners of a century ago, come dominiums designed in the properties range from $2 mil- ing place that prepared them primarily from Boston, New Shingle style. One example is lion for 1.4 acres to $7 million for a typical early autumn chill. York, and Philadelphia, coastal Atlantic House on Scarbor- for a 2-acre estate. Luxury With porches to maximize Maine now has more year- ough Beach, 1-1/2 miles south prices appear comparable be- shade and windows to create round residents than ever be- of Prouts Neck, which boasts tween Mt. Desert Island air flow for the coastal breeze, fore. The new population in- some of the most exclusive real (which contains Bar Harbor Maine's Shingle style homes crease is concentrated along estate on Maine's coast, 15 and Acadia National Park), were intended to stay as cool as possible from late June through late August for short- term summer dwellers. The majority of today's luxury home buyers are summer resi- dents too, but the Shingle style is evolving in response to mod- ern life styles. Now that travel- ing is considerably easier than it was a century ago, Maine's summer season extends from June into September. Addi- tionally, today's owners often visit throughout the year, bringing the whole family up for the winter holidays. Skiing is growing in popu- larity, now that it's only an hour's drive away in many ar- eas. And airstrips are increas- ingly common, allowing quick visits from Southern states minutes from Portland and 10 Maine's modern Shingle minutes from the airport. style homes (left) main- Eight of Atlantic House's 16 tain the fireplace as a buyers to date are primary central facet of the de- homeowners. "Three years sign. Innovations to the ago I began to plan Atlantic style include sunrooms House in the Shingle style," (above) and banks of says Howard Goldenfarb, windows to create president of Ram Develop- warmth and light in win- ment Company. "I began to ter. Opposite: A quaint notice a rebirth in the Shingle weathervane attests to style about five years before." the style's enduring con- Each of Atlantic House's nection to the sea. eight buildings includes three Maine's Shingle style ex- to five homes, and resembles a tends beyond waterfront single, enormous "cottage." homes to encompass One of the coast's few condo- even commercial build- such as Florida and Georgia. In the coast from Portland south minium developments in the ings, such as the marina order to make the Shingle to Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, luxury high end market at upper right. The houses warm enough to enjoy York and Kittery. "By the year (priced at $525,000-825,000), Kennebunk River Club in the windy winter months, 2000 there will be a suburban it may not see similar develop- (far right) was founded in many owners are winterizing northshore from Boston east- ments nearby because of zon- 1890. summer homes. Some even ward to Portland," says ing restraints, costs and the add sunrooms or breakfast ar- Vaughan Pratt, vice president difficulty of shore building. eas onto the back sides of the of Northern Operations at But the shortage of build- house, allowing sunlight to en- LandVest in Portland. "There ing and availability has not ter and add warmth without will be a Maine corridor similar slowed the demand in the lux- disturbing the home's appear- to that of Boston/New Hamp- ury market. After increasing at 72 UNIQUE HOMES APRIL / MAY 89 market. As a state, Maine is not prepared with enough housing." As a result, many of Maine's natives are moving in- land, while continuing to work at the maintenance and con- struction of the Shingle style homes along the coast. Re- shingling homes and renovat- ing them in a style consistent with the originals is consid- ered a local craft requiring an artisan's expertise passed on from fathers to sons. Over the years, wealthy families have kept generations of Mainers busy on the upkeep of the Shingle style homes. Traditionally, many sec- ondary owners from larger and southern Maine, including Kennebunk and Kennebunk- port, even though each of Maine's areas offers different advantages. Differences Down East sible for destroying older ers Point, an 11-acre peninsula Northeastern cities spent "I believe people are look- homes in other towns, since at passed down from his moth- childhood summers on family ing for privacy more today least 50% of its homes are er's side of the family. estates in the area. They have than ever before," says Don- Shingle style originals from the The publicity brought to since bought homes of their ald Pendleton of Islesboro Re- later decades of the 1800s. Maine's coast since the cam- own in Maine to escape the alty Associates. "Zoning is ex- "The Shingle style house is al- paign has been great for the suburban environment sur- tremely rigid here and the real ways in demand, and I have luxury market, but availability rounding their city properties. estate market is excellent." seen interest in it increase in is limited at the high end. According to Pratt, "They About 25 miles west of Mt. recent years," adds Pendleton. Vaughan Pratt, who recently want to preserve a life style Desert, the island of Islesboro The convenience of less iso- sold a waterfront Shingle style they remember as a child. It's must be reached by ferry or lated communities in southern house for $3 million (a record not exciting, it's traditional airstrip-one of the few on Maine draws an increasing in- price paid for an estate in and family oriented." Maine's islands. Islesboro sup- flux of visitors every year. Maine), explains," "In the south- This quality of change- ports a population that sinks to Kennebunkport's population ern part of Maine there's no lessness in the homes is what less than 600 in winter, but typically swells from 4,500 in land left on the water to devel- makes them increasingly valu- more than doubles that in winter to 20,000 in summer. op. Availability is decreased able and in higher demand summer to 1,200-1,300 peo- The numbers have increased and pricey. The true estate than many modern homes. ple, on an island that is ap- continually since George Bush category is healthy, and justi- Like a fondness for coastal proximately the same size as began his presidential cam- fies a $1-4 million range. But breezes and faith in family, in- Manhattan (8,000 acres). paign. The Bush summer the middle market is flat right vesting in a Shingle style home Islesboro is fortunate to home is a Shingle style house now-there's too much prod- is another of Maine's tried and have escaped the fires respon- built in the late 1800s on Walk- uct available in an overpriced true traditions. APRIL/MAY 89 UNIQUE HOMES 73