Old School Lodge Life
This surviving 1915 retreat is a Lake Otsego landmark.
J
ust a few steps away from the edge of the tranquil lake dubbed Glimmerglass by American author James Fenimore Cooper, in his Leatherstocking Tales, sits The Boulders. It was built by a prominent family for their summer camp at Lake Otsego in Cooperstown, New York. The architect was Howard Chapman.
Clad with hemlock planks painted the color of stone, its trim painted forest green, the lodge merges into its woodsy surroundings. The house is ornamented with brackets, flower-filled window boxes, and heavy shutters pierced with arrow cutouts, all of which lend European charm. Its eight rooms center on a great room with a massive fieldstone fireplace. This space opens to a light-filled dining room with its original casement windows. Chestnut wainscots and beamed ceilings remain. Deep porches on both floors take in sweeping views of the lake. Like the
famous Adirondack Camps not far from here—though on a smaller scale (the house is 2,830 square feet and sits on just under half an acre)—The Boulders has its own little campus. A separate boathouse with a guest suite above shelters a pontoon boat.
Water is the essential element here; sailboats and canoes silently glide past on the lake’s mirrored surface. The pristine village of Cooperstown, with its sublime natural beauty and patches of unspoiled forest wilderness, was founded by Fenimore Cooper’s father, William, a storekeeper turned successful frontier developer. William Cooper left New Jersey in 1786 to develop this small town of quaint houses, offering properties for sale to land-hungry farmers from New England. The village soon thrived as a resort, as summer cottages and inns were added to cater to wealthy socialites, who found it a welcome haven from urban centers including New York City, Chicago, and even cities of the Deep South.
The Boulders remained in the original family until it was purchased by the Margaritis family, 20 years ago. Barbara Margaritis and her husband were of retirement age, but Barbara did not intend to stop working. Having built or redesigned houses on Long Island, she took on the neglected lodge as her next project.
Guided by her love of historical details and appreciation of fine craftsmanship, Barbara gutted the ugly remodeling of the kitchen that had been done in the 1970s, ridding the space of a dropped ceiling and contiguous Formica countertops. She removed a stainless-steel sink and replaced it with an apron-front farmhouse sink, accompanied by a marble backsplash. Three separate rolling teak cabinets, set on either side of the sink and a dishwasher, replaced the laminate countertops. Designed by Barbara and custom built by her son, the cabinets on wheels are both utilitarian and attractive. They provide storage space and display area for a collection of Arts & Crafts pottery.
crystal doorknobs Details including and a nickel sink counter survive, as do many original 1915 light fixtures, which were restored. The push-button switches are authentic, code-compliant reproductions.