Lake Ontario Cottage

GREEK REVIVAL HOUSE, Circa 1830

End of September and the rear of the house sided with cedar clapboards.







November 2010.House as it was two years ago.
This wing was built circa 1881.
Front entry steps and completed door surround with new entablature and c0rnice as of 11.13.10.

Steps under construction.
Michael built the new entablature and cornice today.
When I measured this house, the original footprint turned out to be a 36'x36' square. That suggested to me that the golden section may have been used to determine regulating lines, and sure enough, the facade is full of golden ratios. Books like Sacred Geometry by Robert Lawlor or The Power of Limits by Gyorgy Doczi discuss proportional harmonies, but I've always been dubious. In this Greek Revival facade the golden sections are so overt that it can't be doubted.

Entry being framed.SHPO approved design.
Architect measuring existing conditions.
Sketchbook.
Proposed Portico Front Elevation
Proposed Portico Side Elevation.
Proposed Portico Section.
Proposed Portico Plan.
Initial concept sketches for the portico re-construction from about a year ago.Aerial photo showing rooftop.Finished office wing.
Michael Buongiorne's porch design. The vents are like clover leaves.
Under construction.

Architect's drawings.Finish paint and new lighting.
This wing was added long after the original Greek Revival house was built. It has beautiful light and a commanding view of the Erie Canal Basin in Medina.
Existing conditions at front entrance.
Original portico on Freeman House in Middleport as historical reference.
Re-constructed porch on Greek Revival House near Batavia somewhat faithful to the original porch, but in brick. We looked at Roger G. Kennedy's Greek Revival America for additional histoirical references.



Master Carpenter Michael Buongiorne with molding profile mock-up.

New work has focused on renovations to the more recent Italianate wing of the Greek Revival House. These renovations include historically accurate custom wood windows, insulation, electrical and plumbing work. The commercially zoned space will be available soon. Please contact Timothy D. Cooper for further information.

New windows from the interior.
View from out the East wing.



We have been trying to determine if the original windows were like the shorter window with 6/6 divided lights as pictured above or if the longer windows in the front of the house were original.Shutters which were found in the basement were hung on the original existing hardware on the exterior window casings strongly suggesting that the windows were lengthened at some point in the house's history.Would it be better to restore the windows to the original size or maintain the longer windows respecting the evolution of the house from the early 19th Century to the present?A strong argument for replacing the windows back to the smaller orignal size is that the cost of energy is much higher today than it was in the 19th or 20th Centuries. Energy efficient smaller windows would save money over the coming years.

This photo was taken shortly after the house was primed white.
Before roof was stripped and rebuilt and house was primed.Very fine original architectural trim has been refurbished. Extremely unusual old growth chestnut interior and exterior walls provide structural strength.

This shows the Greek Revival House's proximity to the Erie Canal Basin, one of the widest points along the canal. The Erie Canal Basin is the center of boating activity and towpath bike riding during the summer and walking/jogging throughout the year.
New custom-built window.
This shows a close-up of the house.

This wing could be used as an office or store, etc. The lot is zoned commercial.
Below are a couple of interesting quotes from Hamlin's Greek Revival Architecture in America pertaining to Western New York and Orleans County. Click on text to enlarge:
To read about Cyrus Wetherell click here.