Investigation IV

The Ottawa House

Where inside this vanished hotel's grounds did people actually lose things?

[C]Confirmed
Historical Background

A grand Victorian resort operated on Cushing Island until it burned in 1917. Foundations and path networks survive under the leaf litter.

Landscape Analysis

Old carriage routes, path edges, shade-tree gathering points, and beach approaches remain legible on foot.

Field Objectives
  • ·Map path edges and gathering trees.
  • ·Sweep beach-approach terminuses and overlooks.
  • ·Photograph any bottle hardware and drawer pulls in place.
Expected Evidence
  • ·Late-19th and early-20th century coins, buttons, buckles.
  • ·Resort service hardware near the former kitchen wing.
Counterarguments
  • ·Post-fire cleanup may have removed surface material at the hotel footprint.
Open Research Questions
  • ·Which walk was the promenade to the water?
  • ·Where were the porches — the true drop lines?
Field Sites
Sources
  • [1] Maine Memory Network — Ottawa House images.
  • [2] mainememory.net/record/12157