Fairview Cottage as seen from the pond
This collection of photographs of the exterior of Fairview Cottage, circa 1904, show the rustic setting and appearance of a typical Cobbett's Pond cottage at the turn of the twentieth century. William Calvin Harris, who constructed the cottage, made ample usage of the New Hampshire white birch to build a railing around the cottage's front facing deck. To take advantage of the waterfront view, the deck of Fairview Cottage wrapped around the entire front of the cottage, and extended towards the side. The deck was filled with chairs of all sizes and varieties to create an enjoyable, relaxing experience for all members of the families who rented the cottage. Another essential element of a summer cottage is the boat dock. The wooden planking of the dock can be seen in the photograph above, as well as one of the photographs below. The craftsman who built the dock focused on functionality over appearance, leaving many of the boards uneven. At the edge of the dock was a flagpole from which an American flag was proudly hung; the flag can be seen in the bottom left photograph below. Lastly, the cottage featured its own water well, complete with a small wooden bucket to be used in drawing water from the well. As seen in the photograph at the bottom right below, the well was rather nicely constructed, using rocks found in the immediate area of the cottage.
