![]() As charming as they are, they aren’t for everyone. “So, I’m familiar with the design.”Ĭapes are “typically not the most popular, and not sought after, necessarily,” Huss tells us. He’s spent 22 years introducing buyers to their homes, but what other expertise does he bring to the subject? We spoke with top-performing real estate agent Jeffrey Huss of southeast Pennsylvania about the pros and cons of owning these simple houses. These are sometimes referred to as the “starter homes” of the early settlers. There were two smaller styles, now rare: the “half Cape,” which had a single, off-center door with two windows to one side, and the “three-quarter Cape,” which was a smidge wider and added one window to the opposite side of the door. And most early Capes (1690s to 1850s) were even tinier than the full Cape described above. ![]() Ingenuity thrives in small spaces and harsh environments.īut the end result is, undeniably, cute. Nonstop punishment from the salty air gives the cedar shingles their trademark silver color, and the enchanting, steep “captain’s stairway” provides space-saving access to storage in the attic. The huge, fairy-tale-cottage chimney? It provides much needed warmth to the small rooms surrounding it. The low, homey ceiling? It conserves heat. That quaint, steep roof? It’s so snow won’t accumulate. But every charming detail is a product of the harsh environment of the colonial Northeast. The very term “Cape Cod house” brings visions of bulky knit sweaters and sunsets over the bay while you sip a highball and the ocean breeze ruffles your hair. Source: (A n v e s h / Unsplash) Charm, grown from hardship What’s it like to live in one? Let’s take a look at their history, and at the advantages and challenges they offer today. A simple front door in the middle, flanked symmetrically by shuttered windows on clapboard siding.Ĭape Cods - or “Capes,” for short - are downright charming. A steep, shingled roof with its triangular gables facing left and right. Your hands calloused and raw, you build a simple, utilitarian shelter that you pray will allow your family to survive the harsh winter on the horizon.Ĭenturies later, your ancestors exclaim, “How cute!” See: Cape Cod house style – the ultimate guide to what it is and how to get the lookĪ saltbox house is so-called because it is named after the wooden salt containers from the colonial period.You are a stern and hardy Puritan settler in the 17th century.Additional examples can be found as far north as Labrador and Newfoundland in Canada. Saltbox houses are most commonly found throughout New England, with the highest density being in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The style has become so tied to New England culture that saltbox homes have also been created elsewhere to remind people of their northern vacation homes. There are several examples of meticulously cared for saltbox houses on the National Register of Historic Places (opens in new tab). The style has remained popular for the centuries since inception because of the history and detail in every preserved home. ![]() Saltbox houses are popular in New England today, but have always been well-regarded – in fact President John Adams was born in a saltbox house in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1735.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |