Mary Gerts Summer Cottage
Date: 1902
Address: 5260 South Shore Drive, Whitehall MI
City: Whitehall, Michigan
Accessibility: Private
Category: Residential
The Mary Gerts summer cottage is executed entirely of board and batten construction. Although the structure is simple in plan, its relationship to the surrounding landscape is sophisticated. A deck and covered porch straddle a brook that runs through the property, demonstrating that the structure was built with respect for the irregularities of the natural topography of its site. Wide stairs lead from a rocky outcrop to the deck. The cottage is then accessed through the porch. This long, bridge-like feature thus imposes a measured progression from the cottage’s exterior to its interior. It reflects Wright’s sensitivity to the relationship between the natural and built environments.