Waumbek Cottages Historic District facts for kids
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Waumbek Cottages Historic District
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Two of the Waumbek Cottages
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 13, 18, 25, 36 Cottage Rd.; 14, 38 Starr King Rd., Jefferson, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 11 acres (4.5 ha) |
| Built | 1894 |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000142 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | March 15, 2006 |
The Waumbek Cottages Historic District is a special group of old summer homes in Jefferson, New Hampshire. These six "cottages" are really large, fancy houses. They are all that is left of a huge resort from the late 1800s. That resort once had a big hotel and eleven cottages.
These homes are great examples of a building style called Shingle style architecture. They also have some features of the Queen Anne style. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The six cottages were also listed individually in the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2005.
Contents
Discovering the Waumbek Cottages
How Jefferson Became a Tourist Spot
The town of Jefferson was started way back in 1796. It became a popular place for tourists in the mid-1800s. A minister named Thomas Starr King helped make it famous. He wrote about the beautiful area.
King convinced a local hotel owner to build a bigger hotel. This new hotel was called the Hotel Waumbek. It opened its doors in 1860.
The Grand Hotel Waumbek
Having railroads made it much easier for people to travel. This brought many more tourists to Jefferson. Because of this, the Hotel Waumbek was made bigger many times.
By the 1890s, it was one of the largest and most impressive hotels in New Hampshire. It had a huge 500 rooms!
Why the Cottages Were Built
In the 1880s, a new idea started at these big resorts. Some hotel guests wanted their own separate houses. Other guests bought land nearby to build their own homes. They still used the hotel's services and fun activities.
At the Hotel Waumbek, this led to building eleven separate "cottages." These were built near the hotel between 1889 and 1900.
Changes Over Time
Sadly, a very big fire happened in 1928. This fire destroyed the main hotel and three of the cottages. Later in the 1900s, two more cottages were torn down. This means only six of the original eleven cottages are left today.
Where the Cottages Are Located Now
The Waumbek Cottages Historic District is found on Cottage Road and Starr King Road. This area is on the southern side of Mount Starr King. It's just north of U.S. Route 2 and east of Jefferson's village center.
From these cottages, you can see amazing views of the White Mountains to the south.
The Unique Style of the Cottages
It is believed that Alfred Barlow designed these cottages. He also designed a big addition to the hotel. All of the cottages share the Shingle style of architecture. This style often uses wooden shingles on the outside. They also have porches that show the Queen Anne style.
The Six Historic Cottages
The six cottages that make up this historic district were added to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places on October 31, 2005. Their names and locations are:
- Bashaba (14 Starr King Road)
- Beit-el-Hakeen / The Birches (25 Cottage Road)
- Onaway (18 Cottage Road)
- The Bungalow (38 Starr King Road)
- Wayonda (36 Cottage Road)
- Wyndybrae (13 Cottage Road)
