Save this House: A Whimsical Fairy-Tale Cottage on Four Woodsy Acres in North Kingstown

John R. Cota Sr. worked on his dream house for more than forty years. Now it needs a new owner to finish the fantasy.

May 12, 2022

Dana Rae Laverty,

Exterior — The home at 780 Shermantown Rd., North Kingstown, was a labor of love for its builder, John R. Cota Sr. Photo by Dana Laverty.

Welcome, readers, to a new feature of Rhode Island Monthly we’re calling “Save this House.”

We love all homes: Victorians, Colonials, capes, condos, lofts, raised ranches, contemporaries, beach cottages. They’re all beautiful in their own ways, whether they’re worn through with interesting details, time-honed patinas or tasteful decor. But once in a while a house comes along that has good bones and intriguing elements, but just needs a little upkeep and love to bring out its true potential.

This is one of those homes. We think someone should save it. Are you game?

‘He was a termite’

John R. Cota Sr. was always working on his house, a gingerbread-style abode he built from the ground up starting in the ’70s.

The three-level home, at 780 Shermantown Rd. in North Kingstown, is packed with treasures he collected throughout the years: vintage lighting fixtures, a cobalt-blue Glendale stove, an antique phone, an old elementary school bell, stones and lumber gathered from various worksites during his years at Guild Drilling (now American Equipment and Fabricating Corp.) in East Providence.

There’s nary a straight line or modern convenience in sight.

“It’s the most amazing property I’ve ever shown, and I’ve been doing this for twenty-two years,” says John Kidd, the listing agent with Blackstone/Ocean Properties.

The house has three bedrooms and two baths within 1,304 square feet. A workshop, detached garage and outbuilding are also on the 3.97-acre lot.

The elder Cota could build anything, says his son, John R. Cota Jr. of Warwick. In addition to the house, his father also built a fifty-foot Chris-Craft-style wooden boat and a giant airplane swing for John and his sister. He even built his own coffin during his twenties. (It was never used.)

“He was a termite,” says Cota. “He loved working with wood.”

When his children were little, he’d leave food out at night for the local critters – the raccoons were especially fond of marshmallows – and they’d all gather in the kitchen, watching the nocturnal feast in rapt joy. He was a simple man – forgoing modern conveniences like computers and cable TV for the simple thrill of crafting things with his hands.

The elder Cota died last October. He was seventy-four years old.

“He didn’t want any services,” Cota says. “No wake or anything. He just wanted his ashes to be scattered in the water.”

He also didn’t want to burden his children with the upkeep of the house. “Sell it,” he told them. But his son holds out hope that someone out there may want to continue his father’s dream of living simply, in the quiet backroads of North Kingstown, in a one-of-a-kind home filled with the handcrafted workmanship of a man who loved wood.

The distinctive windows on the home at 780 Shermantown Rd. in North Kingstown were crafted from glass from an old airplane hangar. Builder John R. Cota Sr. cut them himself. The orange trim pays homage to his grandmother, who loved the vivid color. Photo by Dana Laverty.
John R. Cota Jr. holds the front-door key to the home, a giant skeleton key crafted from – you guessed it – wood. Photo by Dana Laverty.
A white birch tree weaves through the handcrafted staircase. The elder Cota's collection of vintage lights is at right. Photo by Dana Laverty.
The fireplace and living area walls are made from stones that Cota found on various worksites. Photo by Dana Laverty.
A schoolyard bell at the front of the house serves as a makeshift doorbell. Photo by Dana Laverty.
A vintage chandelier and wooden beam detailing. Photo by Dana Laverty.
A detail from the staircase. Photo by John R. Cota Jr.
A antique Morse code telegraph doubles as intriguing decor. Photo by Dana Laverty.
Wooden beam detailing from the home's second floor. Photo by Dana Laverty.
An elevator – made to look like a vintage phone booth, complete with phone – is the only way to access the third-floor loft area. Like everything else in the home, John R. Cota Sr. built it himself. Photo by Dana Laverty.
The third-floor seating area. Photo by Dana Laverty.
Cota Sr. cuts a slab from a historic elm tree at a worksite in Otsego County, New York. Legend has it that Revolutionary soldiers used the then 250-year-old tree for target practice. Photo by Dana Laverty.
A bullet lodged near the center of the table Cota fashioned from the elm tree. Photo by Dana Laverty.
A vintage Glendale stove brightens the kitchen area. Photo by Dana Laverty.
Cota's second-floor bedroom. Notice anything odd? Photo by Dana Laverty.
If you look a little closer, you'll see something hanging from the bedroom window. It's Cota's alarm clock. After retiring, he threw it out the window, never wanting to hear its whining chimes again. It's been there ever since. Photo by Dana Laverty.

For more information about 780 Shermantown Rd. in North Kingstown, contact Blackstone/Ocean Properties’ John Kidd at 401-524-5854 or visit blackstoneocean.com.

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