All in the Family

It’s not often that a house looks as pretty as this one does from every view. Arrive by car following the winding shell drive through the meadow gardens on the south side, or tie your kayak to the dock and climb the verdant slope to the north terrace. Either way, this sweet home will be waiting. A beautifully proportioned rectangular design with subtly curving double gables, the graceful structure appears as content in its environment as do the flowers. And for good reason: unlike many other new houses situated on the Lower Cape, this one has deep family roots.

“Unless you hear the history, you really can’t understand all that went on here,” the owner explains. Her parents purchased the property along with a small cottage in 1956, and for every season thereafter, the family summered at this address. A freshwater lake makes it an idyllic spot for whiling away the warm months. Years passed, and the family grew and grew.  Finally, in search of more space, the parents built another house nearby—just through the trees.

Eventually the wife inherited the cottage. She and her husband continued the legacy of family gatherings until finally—wanting to remain here year-round in their retirement—they realized a bigger, more practical house was necessary. Rather than raze their beloved little retreat, though, the owners found a buyer. And oh, happy ending: the cottage was shuffled down the road in four pieces, reassembled and continues to live happily ever after. “That settled it for us,” says the wife. “We were ready to build and we knew what we wanted. We wanted to grace the land, not overwhelm it; we wanted light—lots of it; and, most of all, we wanted a welcoming, comfortable house for our family and friends.”

ARCHITECTURE
John DaSilva, Polhemus, Savery, DaSilva Architects Builders