Bridging the Old and New for Cottage Appin: A Historic Sturgeon Point Landmark
Sturgeon Point is one of the oldest settlements you will find in Ontario. Known as a summer destination, Sturgeon Point dates back to 1833 when John Langton landed at the well-known Cedar Spring just around the apex of Sturgeon Point. Eventually, Sturgeon Point would become developed with many well-appointed summer homes and the hardwood groves became a favourite for picnics and summer fun. It was The Langton’s enjoyed social time with other settlers from Fenelon Falls and Bobcaygeon, however Lindsay would become a key influence for settlement expansion at Sturgeon Point. It is estimated, that around 1881 the first residences were built. Which brings us to Cottage Appin built in 1890 by the Stewart family after the original lands that would eventually become Sturgeon Point were divided between the Stewart, Flavelle and Barr families.
Not long after, in 1899 the Village of Sturgeon Point was incorporated by the families and run by a Reeve until amalgamation into the City of Kawartha Lakes. The Stewart family lived in Lindsay on Bond Street and would enjoy Appin Cottage over the summers. The cottage now houses its 5th generation of the family, who travel from Baltimore for the summer. The cottage continues to be shared amongst the family but they wanted to extend their seasonal use. The original extension of the cottage was built in 1990 to act as a space to expand the seasons. After years of use and a desire for something a bit more modernized, the family asked Home by Tim + Chris, to help them design a building that stylistically looked like it had always been there and that would function year-round.
Appin Cottage (before)
When the families first settled, there was a mix of historical detail and features. For example, the Flavelle family favoured more of a Queen Anne Revival-style for their cottage build which reflected the late Victorian era.
Flavelle family at J.R. Dundas’ cottage. 1901.
Whereas Cottage Appin tends towards a Queen Anne style influenced by Gothic Revival’s gingerbread stylistic features. This was the challenge, how to take our cues from the historical building while designing an exterior that both blends seamlessly with the original building and reduces the peak heavy nature of the rooflines at the time. Our other challenge was ensuring that the view from and to the historical church, in behind, was maintained. We were able to accomplish this by framing the church view with new window placement. The objective all along was to blend old and new for a consistent overall appearance and we considered the project to be more of a restoration than a renovation.
Restoration begins!
With a porch focused plan in hand, we decided that a screened in porch could connect the old cottage to the new and would provide both indoor and outdoor use. We opened up the front entry using double screened doors. From that, a spacious mudroom would provide not only dog corralling but when partnered with a kitchen could invite entertaining and accommodate various guests.
The screened in porch matches the original porch and people often comment to the homeowner: “did you make changes? It looks different but we can’t tell!”
Sweeping porch views!
The new addition, has a farmhouse feel to it in keeping with how we integrated and preserved the original historical charm. Speaking of historical charm, the peaked dormers made today’s style of room unusable and the main floor staircase also made walking through the space difficult. With a new, clean roofline, we were able to open up the entire second floor. The bedrooms upstairs now focus on the lake, each with their own view.
The new upper floor lakeview taking shape with a reimagined roofline
Interior construction
In keeping priority for the lake view, one of the additional more notable design features that we took into consideration, was installing headers to bring the eye down to have a lake view in the distance. By narrowing the focal point, we were able to hone in on what we wanted people to notice at a glance.
A porch view towards the lake
Adding round windows kept the style reminiscent of the Victorian era and ornate features like the exterior trim scalloped detail were kept. We also reused the original circa 1890 interior doors and matched new doors with beadboard under the stairs for storage.
Victorian era influence with round window detailing as well as repeated beadboard detailing for interior doors and the kitchen island
Original beadboard door before
We continued the beadboard to the kitchen island to help replicate the original style.
Kitchen island in progress
For the ceiling we used salvaged cedar and we kept the practical functionality of a wood burning stove.
Salvaged cedar from the old cottage was used for the ceiling
All of these details fused together, pay homage to what we are sure would be a nod of approval from the first settling Stewart family members!
After view of the restoration!
For the bathroom, we sourced a dark green herringbone tile, representative of the colour you see dotted about the Sturgeon Point area.
Iconic and traditional green herringbone tile lends a historic touch to one of the bathrooms
This green has become a traditional and classic detail for many of the cottages and preserved homes in the area. The green also nods to the exterior colour and allows for smooth transition and flow for old to new. Other flooring details include tumbled Nero Marquina, a natural stone that gives the impression it was laid many decades ago.
Tumbled Nero Marquina, a natural stone floor detail leading into the kitchen
These well thought out details are what kept our vision for Cottage Appin natural and simple and yet preserved its historical elegance at the same time. The owner has received many compliments about the work blending is so well, that after the old extension was removed and the new one erected, it became hard to tell exactly what work was done! Cottage Appin is part of Canada’s historical and cultural heritage, as a result the preservation and integrity of its story was paramount. Today, you see this style being replicated in new subdivisions and home design. However, nothing truly depicts the joy and hope of settlement and expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries like seeing an example of restored history, still standing as part of an original homestead.
Cottage Appin (after)
