Historic Highlight

Charles H. Ingraham House

Charles H. Ingraham House

Historic Highlight

Shingle style cottages have long been synonymous with Maine summers. But at least one early adopter of the style recognized the appeal of living year round in a rambling fieldstone-and-shingle retreat by the sea. Providence-based banker Charles Ingraham built his 1897 iteration with a massive stone chimney and artful arrangement of roof peaks in Phippsburg as a retirement home. He had hoped that the gracious dwelling would serve as a model for friends who might build their own places here. But that dream did not materialize and Ingraham lived out his last years alone in his cottage. Almost a century later, however, the home — now known as the Stone House Manor bed and breakfast — is the bustling refuge Ingraham envisioned, welcoming visitors through its arched front door in every season.

Portland-based writer Julie Senk holds degrees in history and historic preservation and provides property surveys and architectural analyses to homeowners and businesses. To learn more about her work, visit northernvernacular.com.