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Three Bedroom Cottage
Photographed by Douglas M. Steiner, 2009 |
The Como Orchard Summer Colony was marketed to University of
Chicago Professors as "University Heights Community and
Orchards." The area is still called University Heights
today. Purchase five to ten acres and a cottage, and the
company would manage the orchard and market the crop.
Perfect for a professor. Vacation for three months and enjoy
the Bitterroot Valley. The Clubhouse was conceived as the
center of the community. It contained two communal Dining
Rooms and a two story lounge in the center for gathering. As
a result, most Cottages were designed without kitchens. Of
the over fifty cottages that were planned, twelve were
constructed. Today, one three-bedroom Cottage and the
Manager’s Office remain and are maintained.
Unlike the "cold
inhospitable place" discovered by Lewis and Clark in
September 1805, I found the Bitterroot valley beautiful and
inviting. Driving from Hamilton to Darby early Saturday
morning, I was overwhelmed with its beauty. As I parked, two
deer were grazing not more than 30 feet away.
Like the Clubhouse,
this cottage was built on a 3.5 foot grid and is
approximately 1850 square feet. In 1982 the last Cottage was in a
"bad condition" and scheduled for demolition,
according to
Hildebrand and Bosworth, In their 1982 article
they document |
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many changes. A small porch was added to the Northwest
corner after completion (now enclosed). An interior wall in
the west wing dividing the Entry Hall from the Storage was
removed. Changes
were still visible on the the walls and ceiling surfaces, as
well as the back of the fireplace.
It was not demolished
and many changes were made to the remaining cottage. The
exterior horizontal board and batten siding that enhanced
its deterioration was replaced. The Porch on the west wing
was enclosed. The porch that was added to the Northwest
corner was also enclosed. The small exterior Porch, Stairs
and half wall on the Southeast corner were replaced with
exposed stairs. Besides the interior wall already mentioned
that was removed in the west wing, that space was turned
into a Kitchen and Dining area.
Although many changes were
made to the remaining cottage over the past one hundred
years, Wright details still exist. Interior walls are thin,
only 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick, like
those he designed in his later Usonian homes. Many of the
original
Mullion windows still exist, as does the stone fireplace. They were built as summer Cottages so lacked
central heating.
Text by
Douglas M. Steiner, Copyright September 2009. |
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Plate XLVII(b). Typical
cottages, Como Orchard Summer Colony. Wright included
three variations of the small cottage. Options were many. A
single living room with fireplace and porch. A "duplex", two
living rooms, fireplaces in the center, and porches on
either end. A living room, bedroom, bath and porch. Two
parallel cabins with bedrooms in between forming two, two
bedroom duplexes. Options were available on larger units by
adding bedrooms, a kitchen or dining room. |
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Plate XLVII(b). Typical
cottages, Como Orchard Summer Colony. This version
appears to be a living room, bedroom, bath and porch. Wright
designed built-in planters like many of his buildings at
that time. |
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Unlike the "cold inhospitable place" discovered by Lewis and
Clark in September 1805, I found the Bitterroot valley
beautiful and inviting. Driving from Hamilton to Darby early
Saturday morning, I was overwhelmed with its beauty. As I
parked, two deer were grazing not more than 30 feet away. |
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Although many changes were
made to the remaining cottage over the past one hundred
years, Wright details still exist. Partition walls like
those he designed in his later Usonian homes.
Mullion windows, stone fireplaces and designed ceiling
details. They were built as summer Cottages so lacked
central heating. |
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Example of the original exterior horizontal board and batten
siding that still exists on the managers office.
Moisture seeped behind the siding and enhanced the cottage's
deterioration. Board and batten siding still existed on the
cottage in 1982. The battens were removed and original
board's covered with new siding. |
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1: Viewed from the Northwest. The North wing, on the left,
includes a Bedroom on the left (double windows) and Storage
on the right. The porch between the North wing and the West
wing on the right was
added and enclosed. The West wing, on the right, was
converted to a Dining area and Kitchen. The original Kitchen
window on the far right was replace with a shortened window
to allow for an interior Kitchen countertop. |
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2: Viewed from the Northwest. The North wing, on the left,
includes a Bedroom on the left (double windows) and Storage
on the right. The porch between the North wing and the West
wing on the right was
added and enclosed. The West wing, on the right, was
converted to a Dining area and Kitchen. The original Kitchen
window on the far right was replace with a shortened window
to allow for an interior Kitchen countertop. |
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3: Viewed from the North. The
East wing Porch on the left is now enclosed. The North wing, in the center, includes a Bedroom on the
left (double windows) and Storage on the right. The porch on
the right was
added and enclosed. |
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4: Viewed from the Northeast.
The East wing Porch on the left is now enclosed. The North wing, on the right, includes a
Bedroom on the left (double windows) and Storage on the
right. The porch on the far right was
added and enclosed. |
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5: Viewed from the East. The
South wing on the left includes two bedrooms. The small
exterior Porch, Stairs and half wall on the left between the
South wing and the East wing in the center was replaced with
exposed stairs. The East wing Porch in the center is now
enclosed. In 1982 before new siding was installed, an
original window existed under the porch to the right of the
existing door. The North wing, on the right, includes a
Bedroom and Storage. |
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6: Viewed from the Southeast.
The South wing on the left includes two bedrooms. The small
exterior Porch, Stairs and half wall in the center was
replaced with exposed stairs. The East wing Porch on the
right is now enclosed. In 1982 before new siding was
installed, an original window existed under the porch on the
West side. |
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7: Viewed from the South. The
West wing on the left was converted to a Dining area and
Kitchen. The South wing in the middle includes two bedrooms.
The small exterior Porch, Stairs and half wall to the right
was replaced with exposed stairs. The East wing Porch on the
right is now enclosed. In 1982 before new siding was
installed, an original window existed under the porch. |
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8: Viewed from the Southwest.
The porch on the far left was added and enclosed. The
West wing on the left was converted to a Dining area and
Kitchen. The Bath is visible between the West and South
wings and extends out to the eves. The South wing in the
middle includes two bedrooms. The East wing Porch on the
far right is now enclosed. |
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9: Viewed from the Southwest.
The porch on the far left was added and enclosed. The
West wing in the center was converted to a Dining area and
Kitchen. The Bath is visible between the West and South
wings and extends out to the eves. The South wing on the
right includes two bedrooms. |
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10: Viewed from the West. The
porch on the left was added and enclosed. The
West wing in the center was converted to a Dining area and
Kitchen. The Bath is visible between the West and South
wings and extends out to the eves. The South wing on the
right includes two bedrooms. |
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