Meet Cotuit’s Mansard Ladies

​Mansard-roofed homes are not exclusive to Cotuit, nor even Cape Cod, but the village does boast the Cape’s largest collection. The style is characterized by a shallowly pitched top roof capping four steeply pitched concave sides. It was all the rage in the late 19th century, and the vast majority of the 31 “Mansard Ladies” built in Cotuit still grace the heart of the village. Phil Odence and Jim Gould will tell the tale that started 300 years ago across the sea in Paris. Jim, a retired college professor, has been the village’s architectural historian for decades. He coined the term “Mansard Ladies.” Phil, a lifelong summer resident, became fascinated with Cotuit’s history and homes after chronicling the renovation of his 200-year-old home in his blog Laughing Gull Hill. Starting with Sandanwood – the home that sparked the  trend for Mansard roofs in Cotuit — they’ll conduct a virtual tour of all these local beauties.