One of the great landmarks in Southport is the house at 176 Main Street on the left.  It was built for Oliver Bulkley, scion of one of the old shipping families, in 1861.  Built in an immense version of the Gothic Revival style, it is an exuberant home with its broad verandas, picturesque balcony, looming tower added in 1886, and decorative trim.  As was the case with some other large, elegant Southport homes, Oliver Bulkley intended this as a summer cottage, his family’s respite from their townhouse in a hot, unhealthy city.