Adapted from the 1997 House Tour Guide

The builder of this lovely cottage, Henry Western Eastman, was the most prominent of the Roslyn lawyers during the second half of the 19th century. In addition to practicing law, Eastman taught at the nearby Locust Hill Academy, established the "Plaindealer", a local newspaper, and founded the Roslyn Savings Bank. He had a long and distinguished career and, at his death in 1888, was President of the Queens County Bar Association.

This house is referred to as the "Dower" cottage because it is believed that Eastman built it as a residence for his mother and his mother-in-law. When originally constructed, the house was located between Eastman's own residence at 75 Main Street and his law office at 65 Main Street, the three buildings embracing a courtyard. In 1977, with an eye toward the long range survival of the cottage, Floyd and Dorothy Lyon decided to move the house up the hill to Main Street, bringing it in line with Eastman's former office next door. Interestingly, in the new location, the cottage relates to the topography just as it did on its former site. The main floor of the house is on grade with the street, allowing for a full basement level.

Stylistically, the cottage is an excellent example of what some architectural historians refer to as "Carpenter Gothic," frame dwellings embellished with elaborate decorative detailing such as one finds here - board and batten siding, pierced woodwork and, along the eaves, the scalloped fascia (also known as "Hamburg Edging") with the dropped pendants at the corners. The roof features multi-colored shingles laid in an intricate geometric pattern, repeating the original design of the wooden shingles discovered during the initial restoration. The gable roof dormers are embellished with strips resembling "half-timbering," as well as decorative scroll work and applied wooden triangles. During the restoration, a special effort was made to assure that the siding and battens were painted the original colors - beige siding with brown trim and a chocolate brown door.

Throughout the interior of the home, visitors will find original pine flooring, molded baseboards, paneled doors and windows sashes with authentic porcelain knobbed latches. Today, the house is exquisitely decorated and beautifully maintained by the present owner. Visitors will want to enjoy the owner's gardens and will note the sympathetically-designed modern carriage house to the rear of the property.