The original plat of Maumee was laid out in 1817, when Easterners were just beginning to discover the economic potential of the Maumee Valley. Within a decade, entrepreneurs were flocking to the area and building mansions, and not, as one observer noted, insignificant huts in the wilderness. Many of these early homes are still standing in Maumee, alongside other 19th-century structures which reflect the changing lifestyles, economic fortunes, and architectural styles that defined the era.
Cottages and Castles provides a guide to the historic architecture of Maumee, with examples and descriptions of the various styles from Greek Revival temple forms to Second Empire mansions, and the simpler middle-class cottages that proliferated after the Civil War. Some houses are included because of their distinct architectural characteristics and others because of their association with prominent people or events. Together, they provide a look back at the evolution of small town architecture in this historic northwest Ohio community.