The design combined colonial and Victorian shapes and details to make a weekend house for two families. The house is located on a small lot outside of town on the western bluff of the island. This house was adapted from a design named the Gummere House from Alex Wade's book, Guide to Affordable Houses (Rodale Press, 1984). The final design ended up doubling the size of Wade's design, then by adding an octagonal tower as a third floor and altering window placement and siding details, the saltbox shape was given more of a Shingle-style Victorian character. The two-story east facade is Cape Cod in nature, and the west facade is a saltbox silhouette.
The Victorian tower was inspired by the octagonal lantern on a nearby lighthouse, and from the Fort Mackinac tower. Because on the island cars and trucks are not permitted, most of the building materials were brought to the island by ferry. Then at the dock, they were loaded onto dray wagons pulled by teams of horses. The house was built using a post-and-beam structure, with conventional rafters.
Some red pine growing on the bluff was used from the site.
-Excerpts from an article by Don Price published by Fine Homebuilding
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Price Residence
A Weekend Retreat on Mackinac Island
ABOVE Exterior walls are shingled in white cedar from the Upper Penninsula, the corners woven-instead of butted to cornerboards-to get a Single-style edge.
BELOW A wide brick chimney carries the flue for the Rumford fireplace as well as two smaller flues from wood stoves on the first and third floors. A railing keeps the sitting/sleeping room open to the living room below.
BELOW There is no insulation in the octagonal lookout tower so it allows for the roof framing to add to the view.
BELOW The windows of the cottage reflect the Mackinac Bridge. Waterproofing tricks include windows hoods and copper flashing at the deck rail.
BELOW An octagonal deck mimics the geometry of the tower.
Photographs by Don Price
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