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The Cottage: Everything Old is New Again

Cottage and home rentals, and the traditions that surround them, still abound in Door County.

The old adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same” is true of many things in Door County, but is especially true about the history of cottage and vacation home rentals on the peninsula. Around the end of the 19th century, when Door County was just gaining recognition as a potential tourist destination, it was homes and cottages that accommodated these early visitors. Before the era of large-scale hotels, bedrooms or portions of residents’ homes were rented to visitors, sometimes for an entire summer season.

While many hotels were built in the early 1900s to accommodate a growing number of Door County visitors, the allure of renting a cottage or a home – be it on the waterfront or in a secluded wooded area – has never left. A quick look to the Door County Visitor Bureau’s website will reveal a lengthy list of rental properties, and it is probably safe to say that there are double that amount on the peninsula. Cottage or vacation home rental in Door County is more popular than it has ever been before – and whether it’s value, comfort, or a special experience that you’re looking for, there are more than enough properties to fit your needs.

Gustave’s Getaway, a renovated log-home-turned-rental-cottage, is located five miles north of Baileys Harbor in the township of Liberty Grove. But it isn’t just a log home – it’s a piece of history that has been in Annie Miller’s family for over 120 years. Situated on over 80 acres of farmland, the home is the cornerstone of a family steeped in rich farming tradition and self-sustainability.

The charm of Gustave’s Getaway is two-fold:  in its history, both in terms of its family heritage and its placement in the German settlement of Door County, as well as in the preservation of the home by Annie and her husband Jim. The home gets its name from Annie’s grandfather, Gustave Heinrich Otto Miller, who was one of eight children born to Robert and Louise Miller. To accommodate the growing Miller family, a log cabin for living quarters was completed in 1887, when Gustave was about three years old. Life was very cozy for Robert, Louise, and their family, with all 10 residing in the lower level of the house. During Gustave’s childhood, the upstairs was a granary that housed Scotch peas, similar to lentils, for a cash crop. Farming always supported the family, with cash crops such as raspberries, strawberries, cherries, apples, and cucumbers being hand-picked by family members to sell.

Second-floor bedroom of Gustave’s Getaway. Photo by Dan Eggert.

Miller’s grandmother, Mathilda (Tillie) Kodanko, lived in the log home until the late 1970s. After she moved out, the log home sat vacant for almost 20 years until Annie and Jim decided to renovate it into a vacation home for visitor use. In the winter of 2005 and 2006, the home was moved from its original location by Miller’s father’s house to its new location on Annie and Jim’s portion of the farm. They had one goal in mind with the home – to restore it to its original condition as best they could. “I remembered the house in a certain way from my childhood, and I wanted to keep that memory alive in the restoration,” Miller says. One of the most important pieces of the restoration was Tillie’s Faultless-Malleable cookstove. “It was her pride and joy,” says Miller, “and now these stoves are very hard to come by. I think this is one of three cookstoves of its kind in the United States.”

Of course, the restoration had to make room for modern conveniences, such as indoor plumbing, hot water, and additional insulation. The only plumbing that existed in the home prior to the renovation was a cold-water faucet that was installed in 1955, and the only electricity consisted of a 20-amp service that was installed in 1947. Miller laughs at this, saying, “My grandfather wanted no part in any of these ‘modern’ things – my grandmother, on the other hand, would have loved it! So while all these changes were going on, I thought of her often.” Whenever possible, Miller and her husband strived to preserve the original homestead. “Stones from the original foundation were used for paving a walkway around the house,” Miller says. “The kitchen table was made with wood from a woodshed that used to be attached to the cabin. One of the end tables was made from the old pantry door. We didn’t want to just throw those bits of history away – we wanted them to make up a part of the home’s new story.”

After a winter of extensive renovation, Miller opened Gustave’s Getaway in July 2006. The appealing quiet of the rural farmland setting, coupled with the lovingly preserved log home filled with artifacts from a bygone era, has been attracting visitors to the home ever since. “Many visitors have called it ‘the Little House on the Prairie’ home,” Miller laughs. “In Door County, farmland is something we often take for granted, because we see it all the time. Many of our visitors are the exact opposite, and it’s exciting to see their reactions. We have wild strawberries and blackberries here that guests can gather. They can come and watch our vegetable crops grow. They can go for hikes and learn about wildflowers and birds. Many of our visitors simply say, ‘I love the feeling I get from this home.’”

That feeling is owed to the small things Miller does to make guests feel at home from the moment they walk in the door. Upon entering the home, visitors are greeted by the aroma of freshly baked bread, which Miller begins in a bread machine in the cabin before her guests arrive. Butter and homemade jam are set out as accompaniments, and so far, Miller says, no one has complained. “I’ve heard people get into fights over the last slice, though!” she laughs.

The old stove at Gustave’s Getaway.

Bay View Lodge and Birch Valley Hideaway owner Debbie Krause says that those small things are part of the reason her log cabin and vacation home see so many visitors each year, too. “For Thanksgiving and Christmas, I put special holiday dishes in the homes, and I decorate for the seasons. I think guests really appreciate that, because it’s something they’d do at their own home.” Krause goes on to say that she thinks this is the main reason for the popularity of vacation homes. “Visitors take ownership of the home, because it’s exactly that – someone else’s house. I’ve noticed that guests have watered my plants and moved the furniture – just because they feel like it’s theirs – even if it’s for a few days or a week.”

According to Andrea Lundquist, owner of Lundquist Realty and Vacation Homes, a cottage or a home that offers an experience, like Gustave’s Getaway or Bay View Lodge, is exactly what Door County visitors are looking for. “We’ve been working in the vacation rental business for 35 years, and we’ve seen visitors’ guidelines for rental homes change dramatically,” she says. “The amount of people who have bought and built homes has increased in the past few years, and there are more rental homes in Door County than ever before as a result. That leads to more options for the visitor.” Door County Property Management co-owner Chad Kodanko agrees, adding, “Vacation home or cottage rentals in Door County literally have something for everyone – from a small log home nestled in the woods to a five-bedroom, recently-remodeled home with wireless internet and flat-screen plasma televisions. That’s a large part of the reason home rentals are appealing to some visitors – chances are if you desire it, there is a rental property that has it.”

Historically, any property with a waterfront view has been a popular rental. And while a great view and access to the water remain appealing for many visitors, other characteristics have become equally important. “We see comfort as a visitor’s biggest priority,” says Lundquist. “It used to be that families who would vacation on the peninsula would stay in the same place year after year, because it’s what they had always done. Now it’s about flexibility. People want a place they can move around in, a place where they can unpack and truly unwind.”

Visitor demographics and vacation habits have also changed. “When my grandmother used to vacation on the peninsula as a young girl,” says Kodanko, “people used to come up to the peninsula for entire summers. In today’s age, most families have two parents that work. Children and teenagers have busy summer schedules of sports and camps. Because of that, the average length of stay for a vacation has decreased. If visitors are only able to come up for a few days or a week at the most, they want to ensure that they are as comfortable as possible.” While many vacation rental homes try for weekly reservations throughout Door County’s peak season, both Lundquist and Kodanko say that they do try to accommodate people that make requests for shorter time frames.

Along with that want of comfort is the desire to include everyone in the family in the vacation plans – even family members of the four-legged variety. “We have noticed that more and more visitors do not want to leave their pets with a friend, or in a kennel, while they’re on vacation,” says Kodanko. “Our most popular homes and cottages are the pet-friendly ones.” Annie Miller, who welcomes pets at Gustave’s Getaway, says that “many of our guests are so thankful for the fact that we accommodate pets. But for us, it’s a no-brainer. Pets are a huge part of a family – and with 80 acres of farmland to run around on, they have the best time out of everyone!”

Recent economic activity is also playing a huge part in visitors’ lodging experiences. “Often times, renting a cottage or a home is more financially feasible for a family instead of renting out multiple rooms in a resort, and the square footage is often more as well,” says Lundquist. “If there is a home available for rent with multiple floors and rooms, families can split the rental costs and save a significant amount of money.”

Not only can visitors save money, but often, the money that is made on a vacation rental will go right back into the upkeep of the home itself. “Most people who own rental homes in Door County are people who want to eventually retire up here,” says Kodanko. “It has become expensive to own two homes outright, so many people purchase their future retirement home and rent it out so they can cover the mortgage or the utilities. They find a way to offset the cost until they can live in it permanently.” Lundquist says that with computers and the internet, listing and managing one’s own vacation rental has become easier than ever before. “Many people are able to do it themselves, and the ones that don’t have the time turn the management over to vacation rental agencies like us.” Lundquist estimates that they manage over 150 properties; Door County Property Management, now in their fourth year, manages around 35.

Besides acting as a broker for vacation rentals, both Lundquist Vacation Rentals and Door County Property Management say they are constantly asked for advice on rental homes by prospective buyers. “Many potential homeowners will come to us before they purchase a home to see what we think about its rental capabilities,” Lundquist says. “And we’re very honest with them – if we don’t think it will do well, we tell them. And because we work in real estate in addition to the rental business, sometimes we find ourselves selling a vacation home to the person who used to rent it from us. This way, many visitors become second-homeowners on the peninsula.”

Although the vacation rental has always been a popular lodging option for Door County visitors, Kodanko stresses that this is a national trend. “Vacation homes have become a huge part of popular culture. There are television advertisements for homes across the country through channels like Home and Garden Television. There are specialty magazines that are specifically dedicated to vacation homes.”

The great room of Bay View Lodge overlooking Peninsula State Park. Photo by Dan Eggert.

Kodanko thinks that this is one of the main reasons that the quality of homes and cottages as a whole has increased, especially over the past few years. “Vacation home ownership is a competitive market. We’ve noticed that the more involved a homeowner is in a rental property, the more well-kept it usually is.”

Both Annie Miller and Debbie Krause agree with that, although Miller likes to call her involvement “a labor of love.” “So many people have written in our guestbook about the obvious care that has been put into the house, and how that care permeates through the length of their stay. I think that’s what the home has represented from the very beginning, and I’m happy to be able to share that with our visitors.”