Maine Cottages: Fred L. Savage and the Architecture of Mount Desert (Hardcover)

~ John M. Bryan (Author), Richard Cheek (Author, Photographer) "Savage's family roots on Mount Desert reached back to the eighteenth century..." (more)
Key Phrases: cottage era, historical revival styles, shingle style, Northeast Harbor, Mount Desert, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This handsome book will delight those who appreciate the homes...that overlook some of Maine's most...magnificent views." -- 2nd Home Journal, April 2005

...Lovers of New England and Victoriana should not miss this book. -- Cottage Style, July 2005

...a thoroughly researched and beautifully illustrated book documenting Savage's imprint...a well-organized, well-written, in-depth work...Essential. -- CHOICE, December 2005

...lucidly written, well annotated, and spectacularly illustrated with photographs by Richard Cheek. -- Antiques Magazine, July 2005

This book is a pleasure to read. -- Maine Antique Digest, November, 2005

Product Description

Mount Desert has been one of America's favorite tourist destinations for over 150 years. As early as the 1840s, the lush landscape of this island on the Maine coast attracted artists and writers, who soon made Mount Desert's beauty famous with their paintings and publications. The stream of tourists that began traveling to the island after the Civil War prompted a building boom of cottages, hotels, and various buildings in Bar Harbor and other towns in the vicinity. Fred Savage (1861–1924) was the most influential architect in the development of Mount Desert and northeastern Maine, designing over three hundred buildings. Richly illustrated with archival drawings, photographs, and newly commissioned color photography, Maine Cottages presents all of Savage's most important works while placing the life and career of this architect in the larger context ofMount Desert.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (April 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568983174
• ISBN-13: 978-1568983172
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #625,930 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent Maine, January 20, 2006

By	Shannon Deason "SchylarRex" (Houston) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I must confess I knew very little about the coast of Maine before picking up this spectacular book. The images are just so crisp and well executed. Mr. Savage designs fit the coast of Maine perfectly, they are so well sited and they really complement their breath taking settings. The text is quite informative and the images really make the houses and surrounding landscape come alive. One warning, after reading this book you will want to hop a plane to Maine.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Great-Grandfather was a GREAT Architect!, June 18, 2005

By	Ann Savage (California) - See all my reviews

Fred L. Savage was my great-grandfather. As a descendent of Fred's only son, Francis Chase Savage, I couldn't be more proud of this beautiful book honoring the history of Mt. Desert Island, and my great-grandfather's place in it. I would only suggest one improvement: I wish that more photographs of Fred and his family would have been included, rather than the multi-page spread of photos of the family of one of his clients. Otherwise, Fred's work speaks for itself. It's breathtaking!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars See What's Hidden by Trees and Private Acces Roads, August 18, 2005

By	John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The coast of main around Bar Harbour, and the houses on that coast are some of the most beautiful areas on any coast, anywhere. The problem is that the waterfront there is almost entirely privately owned with access restricted and with so much vegitation (trees) so that these views cannot be seen by the casual visitor.

A surprising amount of these houses are the work of or were influenced by one architect, Frederick L. Savage. This magnificant book takes us not only back in time through historic photographs, but also through the trees and down the private access roads to see these houses and their settings.

The style of these houses, most dating around 1900 have become almost a traditional United States style, although sometimes looking somewhat out of place when placed in a different kind of climate. These houses were designed to keep out the severe Maine winters, with small windows, strongly build roofs and the like.