Kiye — Seligmann Cottage, 1941-42

10 Kiye Point Road, South Addison, Maine

Side view of Seligmann Cottage with Pleasant Bay at left.

Kiye – Seligmann Cottage is located at 10 Kiye Point Road at Kiye Point (Flakeyard Point) on the shores of the Cape Split peninsula of South Addison, Maine with seaside beach and a sweeping view out onto Pleasant Bay. The cottage was built in 1941-42 for Herbert and Lilias Seligmann by Roscoe Wass assisted by Roy Wass and Chester Curtis. Herbert Seligmann (1891-1984), a writer and civil rights activist, was from New York City and Lilias H. MacLane (1893-1964), a dancer, was from Cape Split with deep family roots to the area. They met at college in the Boston area where Herbert was at Harvard and Lilias was at Wellesley. They spent their summers at the cottage, coming up by train from New York City, and were frequently visited by fellow New York City cultural luminaries such as Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, John Marin and Rudolf Bing. It was the Seligmanns who convinced John Marin to build a cottage near theirs in Cape Split. Lilias died in 1964 and is buried on the property. Herbert then married Lise Rueff (1917-2003). In 1984, Herbert died and in 1986, Lise Seligmann sold the cottage to Boston based filmmaker, Barbara Hanania (1949-2022). She, too, spent her summers at the cottage. The cottage remains largely unchanged from when it was first built. Barbara named the property ”Kiye,” the Passamaquoddy name for sunset after consulting with David Francis, Passamaquoddy language authority and member of the Passamaquoddy tribe. Barbara donated the cottage and shoreland property to the Tides Institute in 2022.

Map of Kiye property at Cape Split, Addison, Maine.

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