Click on image to enlarge. (Courtesy Christopher Humphries) The term cottage orne as employed by Victorians could refer to any small- or medium-sized house rustically situated in a rural or semi-rural setting and ornamented so as to convey a picturesque effect. Often these houses had "Gothic" window or "Italian" brackets or even neo-classical details. The primary object was not to mimic a particular architectural style but to suggest a mood: one of civilized, quasi-agrarian domesticity.
Chantilly in Greensboro, remodeled to its present appearance in the 1850s, is an excellent example of cottage orne. Although its gallery sports machine-sawn "oriental" arches, the dwelling follows no particular style. Few such residence remain in Alabama, but from the 1850s through the 1870s dwellings such as these could be found in and about Eufaula, Marion, Greensboro, Tuscaloosa, and the suburbs of Mobile. Indeed, the style became the norm for many small houses, especially during the 1880s and 1890s.
Although Chantilly is in sound structural condition, its future is uncertain because the current owner wishes to use the property for other purposes and would like the house moved. The Commission has located a prospective mover-restorer, but prohibitive estimates for moving the structure have brought the project to a halt.
Although Chantilly is in sound structural condition, its future is uncertain because the current owner wishes to use the property for other purposes and would like the house moved. The Commission has located a prospective mover-restorer, but prohibitive estimates for moving the structure have brought the project to a halt.
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