1900-1903
Acorn Cottage
11
Welcome to Acorn cottage. This residence was built as the Superintendent's Cottage sometime before 1903.
The cottage is surrounded by shrubs, gardens and a winding path. (Think back to the winding drive that brought you here and how that complements the astounding horticulture.) It is tucked under a row of deciduous heritage trees which are located on the southern side and no doubt shaded the home during hotter months. With its elevated placement on the property, each window has distinct views of the greenery and one can imagine it feels like a treehouse from within.
When you climb the steps to Acorn Cottage, you actually approach the rear of the house and you see by looking at the changing brickwork and rooflines that the original home has had two additions. Notice the giant London Plane tree to your right that was marked on the Olmsted maps in 1921 with only a 11" diameter, which most likely pre-dates Olmsted. Walk to the left around the side of the cottage to see the façade of the original cottage which is actually on the north side.
The hipped rooflines, with their dramatic and seemingly curved slopes and original tiles, resemble those of the traditional thatched roofs of English cottages. The architect included brick pathways, oversized chimneys, pairs of hipped dormers with small-paned casement windows on the second floor--all features of Cotswold cottage architecture. The front door features a curved dormer and porch that mimics the curve. It has ionic columns and two delicately curved wooden benches. You also see fine details such as a denticulated cornice, sash windows on the first floor with original muttons. Inside the original footprint, there are original closets and cabinets, deep windowsills, paneled doors and wood floors.
There is ongoing research to discern the architect of this one-of-a-kind structure. While this structure does not have the characteristically ornate style of Frank Miles Day, it is likely that he was involved in its design since it was built at the same time and integrated with the Greenhouse. There are several clues that suggest this structure was built in 1903 and was designed by Frank Miles Day. Basement pipes correspond to those found in the greenhouse basement. A tunnel runs between the two basements and it is possible that wiring and plumbing ran through this tunnel. It may be that the house was also heated by the coal fire heat at the greenhouses. There are marble slabs at both of the cottage's original doors as well as at those at the greenhouse. Acorn Cottage is built in style of cottages in the English countryside, a "Cotswald Cottage" that Frank Miles Day would have seen on his travels to Europe. Here, the architect created a vernacular cottage style and achieved in creating the cozy, rural aesthetic.
The cottage is constructed of red brick, a most accessible material at the turn of the century. The architect used the "Flemish Bond" pattern that consists of alternate stretchers and headers for each course. This style brickwork is not native to Flanders but does appear on late medieval buildings in areas of northern and central Europe that Frank Miles Day might have toured.
The choice of brick is part of what makes this a "vernacular" design, which means using local materials and styles. Brickmaking in Philadelphia goes back to the arrival of the first settlers. On the list of passengers from Bristol, England, arriving 1686 on the ship Delaware, one finds the name of Richard Moore, Brickmaker. Thanks to other settlers like Moore who knew the brick trade and the local clay deposits that were unearthed, colonists did not have to import bricks from Europe--or be reliant upon the British for building materials. According to a 1794 newspaper, there were fourteen kilns and brickyards in the city proper during colonial times. According to a 1929 publication,
The underlying deposits of clay in Pennsylvania seemed to have been excellent for brick and tile making, and the early citizens of Philadelphia soon initiated the custom of building their own homes of brick, which has long been continued in this, the city of brick dwellings.
When we tour the Greenhouse complex, definitively designed by Frank Miles Day, we will continue a discussion of the use of brick in local architecture.
Sources:
Gillingham, H. (1929). Some Early Brickmakers of Philadelphia