Ford Cottages were built by Florence Putnam Ford and her husband, John, in 1942. They stood along South Putnam Drive, across from the Jennie Munger Gregory Museum and slightly to the west.
The cottages were built on a portion of the land George C. and Mary Putnam purchased from the Fitch family in 1865. Florence’s father, George Elbert, and mother, Alice, purchased this 30-acre farm from his siblings and mother in 1908, after George C. died. Florence and her husband purchased land from her father in 1936 to build a one-story home and cottages.
The cottages’ names included Okeedoke, Taka-Peke-Inn, Fordlawn, Triple Inn, Tumble Inn, Putnam, Just-a-Mere, Harmony House, Brighton, Dukamin, Foursome, and This’ll Do. As of spring 2016, only two of the cottages remained: This’ll Do (trimmed in yellow) and Putnam (orange trim). The house that John and Florence built in 1936 still stands as well (gray, one-story, on the south side of Lake Road, west of Putnam).
John and Florence Ford had many happy years together managing Ford Cottages and made many good friends who returned year after year to stay in one of their cottages. The cottages were “families only,” and children enjoyed playing in the large yard. Since there was no air conditioning in those days, renters enjoyed the screened-in porches, lawn chairs, and hammocks in the yard. Out back was a playground for the children with swings and a slide, and for the adults, a badminton net, basketball hoop, and horseshoes. Many picnics were had in the back property under the oak tree.
John and Florence ran the cottages from 1942 until their deaths in 1969. Their daughter, Grace (Bunny) Payne, and her husband, Hugh, relocated to the village from Ashtabula to take over the cottage business. They also had many happy times running the cottages until 1999.
Address
5702 Lake Rd. E.
Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH 44041
