In 1892 the Homestead built ten cottages for guests, complimenting the accommodations in the main hotel. Sitting on the state road also known as Homestead Avenue, they later received a private road and "rose-quilted wall" which shielded them from US220. Trails ran through the area to circle past the Spa and around the hotel. In the other direction the trails led guests around the property to what would become the Formal Gardens.

The July 1931 Homestead Spectator referred to these buildings as both the "Cottage Row" and the "Summer Colony". Known for their charm and easygoing lifestyle they offered a peaceful retreat during extended Summer stays. Herbert Lehman the Lieutenant Governor of New York and Henry Blaxter of Pittsburgh fame were some of the notable guests who brought their families to spend the summer in residence. Despite almost a century of use, in the 1980s the cottages were retired and converted to gift shops while the road was closed to car traffic.

BELOW: In the Summer of 1967 my Dad rented out cottage number 2 for our family. During the day we played in the children's playground nearby or spent time in the children's playroom in the spa. For meals we walked up to the hotel on the path running behind the cottages. A bridge behind the cottage passed over a small spillway that ran from the Soda Spring to a drainpipe at the far end of the children's playground.

\

---

---

Main

Next