Winslow Crocker House
Yarmouthport MA

In 1936, Mary Thacher, an avid collector of antiques, moved the house of a wealthy 18th-century trader and land speculator, Winslow Crocker, to its present location. Considering that Cape Cod in the 18th century was a region of small farms and fishing ports, the Winslow Crocker House is surprisingly elaborate, with rich paneling in every room.

Miss. Thacher remodeled the interior in order to provide an appropriate early American backdrop for the display of her collection. Woodwork was stripped, smaller-paned windows installed, and a fireplace rebuilt to contain a beehive oven. The result is a colonial Cape Cod house with a 20th-century flavor.

Miss. Thacher's collection of furniture, accented by colorful hooked rugs, ceramics, and pewter, presents a thorough survey of early American styles, from Jacobean, William and Mary, and Queen Anne to Chippendale.

Photo 45, Oct 2003