Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

The Outermost House: Modest Modernism in Wellfleet

Search

The Outermost House: Modest Modernism in Wellfleet

August 17, 2015

If you grew up spending summers (and sometimes winters) in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, it was normal to run into architectural giants such as Serge Chermayeff at the grocery store, to sweep the floors of Lilian Saarinen’s modernist cottage, to babysit Charles Zehnder’s children, and to watch your mother drive off to a cocktail party in a Marimekko dress. It wasn’t until later, when I was taking architectural history classes in college, that I realized how rarified the design scene was on the Outer Cape, where more than 100 modest modern holiday retreats were built over a 40-year span, merging Bauhaus ideals with New England fishing town building traditions.

The catalyst for all this architectural innovation? Jack Hall, a Princeton grad and self-trained architect, who bought a 180-acre swath on Boundbrook Island in Wellfleet from Katie Dos Passos (the widow of John Dos Passos). Hall sold the land to friends (a 12-acre parcel to Chermayeff, for instance) and went on to design the Hatch Cottage for Robert Hatch, the then-editor of The Nation, and his wife, Ruth, an artist. The house–the setting for innumerable summer soirees–is available to rent; go to the Cape Cod Modern House Trust for information.

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 3

Above: The Hatch Cottage hovers above ground, perched on concrete pilings. Photograph by Anna Moller via Kinfolk.

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 4

Above: A woodstove is set into a circle of beach stones. Photograph by Raimond Koch for the Cape Cod Modern House Trust.

hatch house dining room 10

Above: A built-in banquette with rattan chairs. Photograph by Don Freeman via Artists’ Handmade Houses.

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 6

Above: A framed Matisse print, rice paper lantern, and vintage chair, design elements typical of modern houses of the era. Photograph by Don Freeman via Artists’ Handmade Houses.

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 7

Above: Sliding doors connect the house to the beach and fill the room with sea air. Note the mismatched dining chairs. Photograph via the Cape Cod Modern House Trust.

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 8

Above: The tiny galley kitchen features open shelves, a common feature in modernist summer cottages. Photograph by Don Freeman via Artists’ Handmade Houses.

hatch house fishing lures 0

Above: Fishing decoys as decor. Photograph by Anna Moller via Kinfolk

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 10

Above: Beach stones collected by Ruth Hatch. Photograph via Salt Cellar Shop.

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 11

Above: A Bertoia chair positioned in the entry. Photograph via the Cape Cod Modern House Trust.

hatch house entry 2

Above: A series of working shutters, operated by a rope and pulley system, allows the cottage to be closed off in winter. Photograph via the Cape Cod Modern House Trust.

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 13

Above: A simple stone-edged path leads to the house. Photograph via Salt Cellar Shop.

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 14

Above: A deck overlooking the bay. Photograph via the Cape Cod Modern House Trust.

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 15

Above: Sunset at the Hatch Cottage. Photograph via the Cape Cod Modern House Trust.

cape cod modern book cover

Above: Interested in learning more? Order a copy of Cape Cod Modern: Midcentury Architecture and Community on the Outer Cape ($30 from Amazon) by Peter McMahon and Christine Cipriani.

See a 1970 Charles Zehnder house that’s part of the Cape Cod Modern House Trust (and also available for rent) in our post Pilgrim’s Progress. On Gardenista, tour Architect Sheila Bonnell’s Cape Cod Kitchen Garden.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on May 28, 2014, as part of our Modest Modern issue.

(Visited 981 times, 10 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.

Product summary  

The Outermost House Modest Modernism in Wellfleet portrait 18
Peter McMahon & Christine Cipriani

Cape Cod Modern

$29.88 USD from Amazon

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

v5.0