Little Pink Houses – Williamsburg Colonial Cottage Art

Description

This little colonial cottage is a photo from my short stay in historic Williamsburg, Virginia. When I first spotted this tiny house, I immediately saw what I thought was an individualist streak in the pink hue of this cottage. I didn’t realize until much later that this little cottage was actually one of the genuinely historic buildings that make up the living history museum. So I’m guessing the dusty pink color of this colonial cottage is likely authentic to the period architecture.

This pink colonial cottage is a good reminder that our past wasn’t filled with stately white-washed houses. Before synthetic colors, bright and bold colors were a status item. It’s easy to forget in our society where color has become less valued and people tend to go for far more neutral paints. The past though was more brightly hued than we sometimes imagine. And our mental image of cute colonial cottages is white washed with perhaps just a small splash of color on the trim.

The first record of the little colonial cottage pictured appears to be when purchased by Isham Goddin in 1778. Colonial Williamsburg has thus recorded the name of this original colonial building as the “Isham Goddin Shop.”

On the summer afternoon when I wandered by there, the late afternoon sun was casting long shadows and bathing the tiny house and surrounding vegetation in a great warm light. It created such a warm and cheerful feeling and enriched the colors even more. I stopped dead in my tracks. As I said, I didn’t even know it was a vintage building, I just loved the mood of the moment and that eye-catching cottage.

Years later, I still love the style and color of this wee cottage. If you’ve been to Colonial Williamsburg or have a yen for tiny pink houses, maybe this print will be the one for you.