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The Sunday porch: Wiseman, Alaska

February 25, 2018February 25, 2018 Cindy at enclos*ureLeave a comment

An encore porch from 2013. . .
Front porch, near the Koyukuk River at Wiseman Creek, Wiseman, Alaska, July 1984, by Jet Lowe for an Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division (all photos here).

For over six decades, this little porch sheltered many hours of masculine conviviality. In 1913, it fronted the Siverly and Bowker Saloon. The following year, the building was sold to a fraternal organization, Pioneers of Alaska, and then used as one of its local chapters — an “Igloo;” it was Igloo No. 8.

By 1972, the building had been sold again. At the time of these photos, it was the home of the owner’s son.

Above: the back porch and entrance to the kitchen.

Above: the side view.

The Sunday porch: Bon Echo

August 21, 2016August 15, 2016 Cindy at enclos*ure1 Comment

Rustic birch lattice on the porch of the North Cottage of the Bon Echo Inn, near Cloyne, Ontario, 1935, via Cloyne and District Historical Society Commons on flickr (both photos).

The Bon Echo Inn was established in 1889 on Mazinaw Lake. It attracted wealthy guests who were also tea-totalers, as the religious owners did not serve alcohol. Later, it was purchased by a founder of the Canada Suffrage Association, who made it into a retreat for artists and writers, notably James Thurber. In 1936, the Inn and many of its outbuildings were destroyed by fire and never rebuilt. The surrounding area is now Bon Echo Provincial Park.

Tea service on the verandah of the Inn, between 1920 and 1936.