Saturday, 10 September 2016
A benefit for the Cannon Beach History Center
Cottage 6: The House that Jerry Bosco Built (The Sea Horse)
from the programme: A firm believer in historic preservation and restoration, Jerry Bosco created this Victorian cottage in 1952 from historically significant materials. Each room is an architectural wonder, from the stained glass windows, marble floors, to a gold leafed chandelier and a “Pi R Squared” bathroom made from old Portland address tiles. Prior to his passing, Jerry established the Bosco-Milligan Foundation in Portland, Oregon to fulfill his vision of a place where his collections could be used in education and training programs.
I found this informative article about their foundation. And in this article, you will find a photo of Bosco and Milligan themselves.
It was for sale!
The tower is hidden by tree branches.
As we approached the front door, we learned from the owner that the cottage had sold the night before for $425,000. Oh, to have been able to buy this place. (Never mind that friends pointed out the small shady yard, the neighbours’ modern house so close to the south side, and the stairs, which we will come to soon. ) We overheard that the house is only fifteen feet wide.
Allan’s photo
Allan at the front door
front window
looking up, east side
just inside the front door
To the left, in the southeast corner of the cottage, is a bedroom with floors made of marble from an old Portland bank. Since I would not be easily going up and down the winding stairs, that would be my room (in my dream where I live here).
I would sleep well here.
east facing window at front of house
front window sill
marble from a Portland bank in the southeast bedroom
Along the narrow hallway that passes by the curved staircase, the bathroom is to the left.
It is a “wet bathroom” with the shower, toilet, and sink in the same room.
a closet up one step from the bathroom
On several real estate sites, I found this photo that showed how clever it would have been to step up into the closet, from where one could get a photo of the entire bathroom.
a screenshot of the clever angle
looking back down the hallway;striped rug is by the bathroom door
looking back down the hallway; a seat under the stairway
At the end of the hall, one enters the kitchen and dining room on the west side of the ground floor.
a open room with dining table, fireplace, and kitchen
window next to the fireplace
the ceiling over the dining room
the surprisingly modern kitchen (perhaps completed after Jerry Bosco died?)
Jerry Bosco’s lifetime…much too short
south kitchen window
The most delightful breakfast or reading nook in the world.
The nook might not even be all that comfortable. I do not care. I want it replicated on the side of my double wide trailer.
Allan’s photo
a narrow window (somewhere in the kitchen or hallway?)
Allan went up the stairs to be my eyes. Could I have gone up? The evening before, I’d suffered a knee-bending trompling by a big fellow who wasn’t looking where he was going, so just the walking between cottages was a challenge today. I could have gone up, but I would have had to back down slowly and trepidatiously and I felt embarrassed to do so with so many people around. So I made the decision, perhaps the wrong one, to stay downstairs and count on Allan to photograph everything upstairs. “Every detail, please!”, said I. By this time, we had encountered Seaside gardener Pam and Sean, who were cottage touring in the opposite direction, so they will appear in some of the photos.
the curved stairs
tour host and guests
Tour host knew the history of many of the architectural details.
Sean’s on the right.
Pam looks at the details
I must insert this realtor photo to explain the following photo.
in the east side room
painting detail
looking out from the bathroom
The tower, accessed by a drop down staircase in the hallway, was not open during this tour.
the tower access
I found online some realtor photos of the tower interior:
the winding stairs back down
last look at the upstairs
Pam and me outside
Meanwhile, I had been looking around the outside of the cottage.
the north side
north side porch
The lot and cottage to the north used to be part of the property, and when I had walked by here in 2010, the woods had been tangled and mysterious. The clearing of the underbrush is why I had not recognized this place earlier in the day.
clear and tidy
photo from 2010 of how wild it was then
We were told that this cottage to the northwest had been part of the estate and had been sold separately, explaining why I remembered it as a much larger landscape when I had peered in in years past.
looking at the north side of the Jerry Bosco house from neighbour’s driveway
the tower, in the center of the cottage
North side porch; you can see Sean in the dining room.
Pam and Allan
I see that the cottage had a name: The Sea Horse
THE SEA HORSE—THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT JERRY BUILT
Jerry died far too young; he was only 49. I wish he were still alive, an old man enjoying his marvelous creation.
chimney and dining room window. If only I had gone around that corner to view the west wall of the house from the outside.
Pam was looking up at something. I stepped inside.
The ceiling of the porch was a grid of paintings depicting sunrise to sunset.
sea horse window in the back door.
Getting photos of entire rooms was not easy for us because there were many people marveling over the cottage’s every detail. For more photos, including many that show full views of the rooms, check out this real estate site. I picked the one that might be most likely to be around even after the deal closes. In case it goes away, look quickly!
We bid adieu to Pam and Sean, who were heading south while we headed north.
our buddies Pam and Sean
Next, a garden, and a modern dream home.
