The Mermaid Bath

It is snowing again in Sag Harbor. The beautiful soft flakes that I greeted with joy in December now create sighs of resignation on Palm Sunday weekend. Annie Cooper Boyd had a secret place for days like these. She could retreat to her mermaid bath and run a hot tub. A seaside mural with mermaids framed by hollyhocks adorns one wall of the bathroom. When you visit the Sag Harbor Historical Society this summer, remember to visit this room. By then real hollyhocks will be blooming in their front garden.
Annie inherited the little house when her father died in 1894. A year later she married John Boyd and the couple took up residence in New York City. They used the cottage as a summer home for family vacations. In 1926 when John retired, he and Annie moved to the Sag Harbor cottage full time. Annie lived in the house until her death in 1941. Over the years the house was adapted to the family's needs and was adorned with Annie's whimsical inspirations. She painted all of her life.