Some houses begin as frantically scribbled sketches on a cocktail napkin. Others spring to life from an architect’s drafting table, with careful consideration given to views, tree lines, and sun exposure. But the story of this handcrafted home in Rhode Island has an unusual beginning―it was built around a lifesaving rescue pole.
Located on the vacation destination of Block Island, just 12 miles from the mainland, the pole served as a practice mast for members of the U.S. Life-Saving Service (the Coast Guard’s predecessor) to rehearse rescues more than a century ago. Decades later, when architect and jack-of-all-trades John Gasner decided to build on the property, he wasn’t sure what to do with it. After much deliberation, he decided to keep the relic right where it’s always been.
Originally he built a workshop/studio on the spot, later using it as a gallery space. Today, John, his wife, Pam, and their three children―Will, Noah, and Julia―have transformed the space into a one-of-a-kind summer cottage with the pole running through the middle of the structure redefining rustic living.