Captain's Row

The Charm of a Historic Restoration

This iconic Chatham summer cottage within view of the Chatham lighthouse has been around for more than 118 years. The home was built as a summer cottage by Della and Captain John Hammond, Jr. in the early 1900s. The current homeowners purchased the house in 2019 with a mindset to preserve a piece of Chatham’s history. The one and half story shingle-style modified Dutch Colonial with a gambrel roof and gabled dormers desperately needed a renovation. Dismayed by the size and type of homes so often built throughout town, they were enthusiastic about making more with less: investing in preserving the character of this unique summer home and its associated cottage while making them comfortable and durable to last for another century or more. SV Design looked for opportunities to combine lifestyle and aesthetic improvements with needed energy and stability upgrades, always conscientious that alterations to the home respected its historic character as authentically as possible. All new elements and details were designed to be appropriate to the language and architecture when the house was originally constructed.

The home was lifted from its brick piers, moved forward on rails, and then placed back on a solid foundation, located a bit further from the road and rotated slightly to better align with the long, narrow lot. This shift created a walking path to the back lawn, a more usable driveway and a conveniently tucked in mudroom entry. The cottage’s stability was ensured with helical pilings. The basement addition allowed the owners to gain usable, finished space including a media room and bath. The home's original structural beams were left exposed, a visual display of the craftsmanship from when the house was built as a summer cottage. The color palette of whites, blues, and creams paired with the warm hardwood floors provides a nautical coastal modern feel throughout the home. The use of built-ins for an eat-in nook, bunk beds, bed frames, and storage elements offer a compact, clean, and comfortable use of space, maintaining the feel of a low maintenance summer home. Shiplap accentuates the coastal aesthetic in the kitchen and transitions to the second floor and lower level. The layout was opened, and flow was increased throughout the space. A second-floor balcony was added while the main deck was enlarged.

This reimagined turn-of-the-century home now provides the homeowners, family, and guests with breathtaking views of North Beach Island, Pleasant Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean and with modern, functional spaces for many generations to come.