Nestled into the forests of Wayland, Massachusetts, one of the most significant examples of early Modernist architecture, the Chamberlain Cottage, represents the European Bauhaus style adapted to the American landscape and New England vernacular. Designed in 1940 and completed in 1941, the house was commissioned by Harvard Economics professor, Henry Chamberlain and his wife, Margareth, as a weekend retreat from Cambridge. Professor Chamberlain commissioned Marcel Breuer and his mentor, Walter Gropius, then Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, to design a home with a specific request for a screened porch similar to Gropius’ residence in nearby Lincoln. For the Chamberlain Cottage, the design responds to the uneven terrain and the potential for river flooding by two distinct parts: a grounded stone base and a cantilevered wooden volume above. The lower stone level functioned as a foundation while providing storage for a canoe and housing a fireplace that extends vertically through the structure; with the upper wooden volume containing living spaces. Despite its compact size for weekend visits, the upper level is well planned and includes a living space, kitchen, a single bedroom, and the porch. Due to its small scale and siting, the one-bedroom cottage was not easily adaptable for modern living. After falling into disrepair in the 1980s and ’90s, the home was purchased by architects Sidney R. Bowen and Angela Watson, who expanded the structure over the course of a decade to its current size of 3,742 square feet. It has been occupied and lovingly maintained by later owners. It remains a private residence.
Buildings of New England 