My first visit to Easton Mountain was in September 2023. Since then, the Cobb House on the hill has always been a source of mystery and intrigue. The structure – built from timber, recycled materials, and “cobb”, an extremely durable building material made of straw and mud – sits on the incline past the driveway.
I’d heard bits regarding its origin, and leafed through the book in the Lodge’s downstairs library nook (check it out next time you’re here!), but it wasn’t until a couple months ago that I met the architect responsible for its creation: Howie!
There are hundreds, thousands, of people who have visited Easton Mountain over the years. They make up Easton Mountain’s lore. I love meeting the people of whom I’ve heard stories, or people who haven’t been back to the mountain in 5, 10, 20 years.
Howie was a fixture of the Easton Mountain community in its early years — in fact, he was the general manager for a time! — and returned a couple months ago to join us as a resident volunteer while we closed out the summer season. He has since returned to Florida, his current home-base, but not before breathing new life into his Cobb House, putting the garden beds to rest for the season, and blessing all of us with his steady, loving, grounded presence.
In fact, blessing is the foundation of Howie’s spiritual practice. A Benedictine monk, Howie’s life is a dedication to the Light. Three times a day he lifts prayers to the Divine – prayers of protection & peace for those suffering everywhere, gratitude, and a future for our planet guided by Love. It’s not just three times a day though; Howie’s life is a living prayer.
The Cobb House was initially built as a hermitage. And with Howie’s return, it has been reestablished as such. He is also responsible for the small wooden chapel that sits next door. The peaceful, nondenominational sacred space is open to all who wish to sit in silence, reflection or prayer.
After his initial revamp of the space, Howie held an open house and shared stories of the Cobb House’s creation. Many hands went into the construction, Easton’s longtime handyman Tracy & groundsman Herbie being major players. The space was almost unrecognizable! Same structure, but cleaned up, cleared out and made into a cozy, magical home.
Next time you visit Easton Mountain, take a look through the book I mentioned above to see a documentation of the Cobb House’s construction. Howie returns to Easton next summer. If he’s around, ask for a tour! While the chapel is open to all, any time, please respect that the Cobb House is Howie’s home and do not enter – it has been reestablished as a private space. <3
On building the house, 2026
How to make cobb, 2026
Howie’s process, 2026
Written by Cam, no AI
