A Fascinating Puzzle:
The Evolution of the McCue House

The McCue House, on Massachusetts' north shore, is situated at a
spot known as Norton's Point. The Point is surrounded on three sides by water, accessed by a bridge that spans a steep cliff. It is an isolated place with boulder outcroppings and natural vegetation of white cedar and pine, and breathtaking views of Manchester Harbor--the perfect place for three very unique Shingle-style homes.
      
The original owner of this property was Cyrus Bartol. He knew that a
site of this quality and visibility from the Water required a superb architect and builder. Bartol hired people he knew from their previous work on nearby Smith's Point: Arthur Little, the architect, as well as the building firm of Roberts and Hoare--one of whose principals, Oliver Roberts, happens to have been my great-grandfather. When the decision was made to build three
houses, the architect was given virtually total freedom to design them. The result was Fort House, River House and Barn House, all completed around 1883, forming one of the best Shingle-style groupings on the coast.
      
Fort House, located on the highest point of land, was built near an
old War of 1812 fort. River house was built on a little promontory, appearing to grow right out of the rocky coastline, and had a dining room suspended over the water, giving one the sense of dining on a boat. Barn House, built adjacent to a tidal area, was evocative of a saltwater-farm house. The three houses were grouped together and united by carriage houses and stables, which gave the feeling of a small village. But within a short time after their construction, all of these homes were altered. Numerous additions were needed to accommodate an increasing number of guests who were discovering the emerging Manchester-by-the-Sea social life. Barn House--the one that would become McCue's house--was no exception.

From sketches and pictures taken by successive owners, it appears that additions occurred on a regular basis up through the 1920's, steadily evolving into a large and rather grand Colonial-Revival-style mansion. Eventually, the house had changed so much from its original simple barn form that it was renamed The Moorings. The house, originally built as an escapeto a simpler way of life far from the city, was expanding.  And as "society" increasingly discovered Manchester, the owners of The Moorings could no longer have their guests arrive at what appeared to be a barn.
      
Sifting through all of the changes to the McCue House has been a
fascinating puzzle. In addition to architectural preservation skills, it has required an understanding of social and architectural history, as well as landscape architecture. This house must be understood in the context of three buildings all responding to their environment.  From the beginning, Arthur Little's design process involved the landscape. It was never an afterthought, but an integral part of the design, reflecting the idea that the Shingle Style is essentially a marriage of architecture and landscape. But by the late 1970's, The Moorings was in need of major and costly repairs. Likely daunted by the prospect of undertaking them, the owner--who was single--also wanted a house that would be less sprawling and simpler to maintain, and hired an architect from Chicago to do the job. The resulting Modernist renovation stripped The Moorings of nearly all its elaborate
character in 1979.
      
So in preparation for this project, we studied the remaining River
House and Fort House for interior and exterior details. This had to be done quickly, because, tragically, Fort House (still in good condition) was demolished during the initial design phase of the McCue House. With the aid of old photographs and sketches, individual sets of plans were prepared for Barn House, The Moorings, and the 70's redo: the three previous incarnations of the McCues' house. Plans for each building phase being documented, the McCues could now, with careful consideration given to historical material, establish a vision of their new home.
      
The decision was made to "re-create" the house, rather than restore
it to a particular period of the house's past. The idea was to design something "new" while emphasizing what it once was--and allowing its former glory to shine through. The McCue House has emerged as a synthesis of Janet and David's idea of home, the architectural and historical phases of the house, and my response and integration of these complexities into a workable design. I am pleased that the original spirit and integrity of the house is back--to be enjoyed and enhanced by a new family living in a home with a new name:  the McCue House.

Stephen Holt is the architect on This Old House's Manchester Project.