Behind every Chautauqua cottage’s door is a Chautauquan who has poured themselves into making their little part of the Institution grounds a home. For 70 years, the Bird, Tree & Garden Club’s biennial House and Garden Tour opens those doors and invites the community inside these often-historic homes to meet the Chautauquans who have made the buildings their own, with charms — and sometimes quirks — old and new. This year, over 1,000 people visited 12 houses and seven gardens across the grounds, each uniquely shaped by those who live there.
Laura Dawson, along with Harper the dog, is the owner of Rice Cottage. With an open porch and bright sunroom, Rice Cottage was among the oldest homes (built in 1879) on the Bird, Tree & Garden Club’s House and Garden Tour.
