Hansel was the cottage Hugh Comstock built in 1924 for his wife Mayotta’s hand-made dolls, on Torres Street near Sixth Avenue. Local histories say the materials cost about $100, and they called it the Doll House. A second cottage, Gretel, followed, and the pair gave the village its fairy-tale reputation.
Accounts differ on some details, including exactly when Gretel was built and what it was used for, so it is safest to say that Hansel dates to 1924 and Gretel to the mid-1920s.
Comstock’s inspiration was said to be the illustrator Arthur Rackham. In August 2024 the Carmel City Council adopted a proclamation marking the 100th anniversary of his first storybook cottage, and a home tour of his cottages followed in September. Both are private homes today, so look from the street.