In my extensive brain rot research concerning Victorian/Queen Anne style porches, trim, gingerbread etc. I came across the Martha’s Vineyard Camp-Meeting Association. The founders of this area in the town of Oak Bluffs, MA were Methodists and the first outdoor camp-meeting took place in 1835.
According to history, it was a happening meeting because the congregation grew large and fast.
At first people were pitching tents in the oak grove and then later bought individual plots to put their tents on.
Finally in the 1860s-1870s folks started building these little gingerbread cottages, Victorian/Queen Anne style homes packed tightly together. By the end of construction, 500 had been built.
Today 300 still stand. Check out these prime examples of the Oak Bluffs Gingerbread Cottages
Flash forward, they are coastal rentals and a tourist attraction.
BTW, pretty dreamy to look through the Martha’s Vineyard rentals on Vrbo and also on AirBnB.
The minimalist in you is crying out right now as you look at these images.
Hutker Architects did an overhaul of one the cottages and it is pretty freakin’ great.
The stairwell in the house that we will hopefully move in to is very similar to the one below. Funsies!
wow.. i realize that this is an old post.. but just came across it. great pics! i am sure that no code enforcement officer would let you get away with a stairway like that in this day and age! but these houses sure have character. Did your research also turn up Ocean Grove NJ? same story as Oak Bluffs, and lots of great old houses there.. jt
I will certainly take a look at Ocean Grove, thanks for the heads up!
hope you found some interesting stuff on OG. we started going there in 1964.. i was 5. at that time, the law in the grove was that no cars could be on the streets from 12 midnight on saturday till 12 midnight on sunday.. it was pretty special, even if it was a hassle to move one’s car outside .. that law did not make it through the 70’s, and a lot of other things changed as well. but, believe it or not, the organist at the Great Auditorium, Gordan Turk, is still there.. he began when I was 14 years old.. what a talented guy.. my mom dragged me to hear him play “The Storm” did not appreciate it then.. but have fond memories of it now!
and what about Thousand Island Park in NY? a wonderful – mostly summer – community that is very similar …