Historic Structure Report: Gray Cottage

Lee, James

Gray Cottage at Sagamore Hill is the subject of this Historic Structure Report (HSR). The National Register of Historic Places nomination for Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (NHS) determined that Gray Cottage is a contributing resource to Theodore Roosevelt’s Sagamore Hill estate. Park management plans stated that the building must be preserved and maintained. The recent Sagamore Hill NHS General Management Plan (GMP) determined that a Historic Structure Report should be written to document the building as part of the preservation and planning process for Gray Cottage. The Gray Cottage Historic Structure Report was produced by the Historic Architecture Program (HAP) of the National Park Service’s Northeast Regional Office in order to document the development and use of Gray Cottage at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (NHS). Furthermore, it is intended to inform and guide the rehabilitation of the historic structure. The scope of this HSR was to perform a “thorough” investigation of Gray Cottage at Sagamore Hill NHS as defined by the Director’s Order – 28.1 The report, which deals primarily with the subject building, incorporates context and background information about Sagamore Hill. The HSR identifies significant historic features of the building and provides guidance for the treatment of the building. The project included archival research at the local and regional level and building investigation and research, all of which culminated in the HSR. In accordance with National Park Service (NPS) standards and as outlined in Director’s Order – 28, the HSR contains Part 1 “Developmental History” that includes sections on “Historical Background and Context,” “Chronology of Development and Use,” and “Current Physical Description.” The HSR also includes an additional subsection to Part 1 in the form of “Character-Defining Features (CDFs) and General Recommendations” for Gray Cottage to assist in guiding appropriate rehabilitation of the building. Exterior paint analysis and color matching of the exterior finishes of Gray Cottage is included as an appendix to this report. The report does not include a “Part 2. Treatment and Use” or “Part 3. Record of Treatment,” the latter of which should be accomplished by the contractor after the treatment is completed.

Historic Structure Report: Gray Cottage

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