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Having lived in Boston for a time, I can reliably report that winters in the northeast are no joke. The house was built for Rev. John Smith, his wife Susanna and their 13 children (wow!). He served as pastor at the Separatist First Church of Sandwich from 1673 until 1689 and also as a representative to the legislature.
What are the advantages of a saltbox roof?
With the rise of the Greek Revival movement in the early 19th century, Saltbox houses were further influenced by classical elements. These houses featured gable-ended roofs, often adorned with ornate cornices and pediments. The shape of the Saltbox roof was still retained, but the overall aesthetic became more refined and neoclassical in nature.
The Solution to Snowfall:
Overall, the Saltbox house emerged as a practical and cost-effective housing solution for the early settlers of New England. Its unique roofline not only served a functional purpose but also became synonymous with the region’s architectural heritage. The original saltboxes began as simple two-story dwellings, with one room on each story and a central fireplace running throughout to keep the entire house warm. Since it would still be a few more centuries before electricity was invented, saltboxes had thickly framed, strategically placed windows. The interior architecture of the house also reflects the surrounding natural elements by incorporating post-and-beam construction and wooden trusses. With the homes often set among the trees and nature, designing one today would require considering the natural elements in any plan.
What does a saltbox style house look like?
Additionally, it requires a lot of wood for construction and steel beams are pricey, making it even more expensive than other options. A saltbox adds living space to a property, which is particularly handy in larger homes. This gives the idle space a purpose, sometimes by adding an extra bedroom or office. Furthermore, A saltbox’s loft on the second level can be utilized for extra living space, storage, guests, or an office. Saltbox-style homes were technically considered only one-story given the shape of the roof.
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Other architects lengthen both sides of the saltbox home to increase the square footage, which creates a home like a ranch-style house. While this decreases the steepness of the roof which is characteristic of saltbox architecture, the homeowners get more square footage. Some builders add a whole wall of windows to help bring in nature and nearby landscapes into the home. While most original saltbox houses were built with wood, the 1754 Josiah Day House in West Springfield, Massachusetts, is said to be the oldest saltbox-style home in the United States made from brick. Now a museum open to the public for guided tours, it is on the National Register of Historic Places registered with the Massachusetts Historic Commission.
Jethro Coffin House in Nantucket, Massachusetts
This method uses traditional wood joinery, making it more economical than relying on metal nails, bolts, and other fasteners, which were costly at the time. The roofs are thought to have been chosen more for their utility and aesthetic appeal than for their structural stability. The steep cat-slide roofs that visually characterize the Saltbox home profile are said to help reduce snow accumulation during the harsh New England winters. Because it is more sophisticated than other architectural styles of houses, this form of housing is not inexpensive.
The Saltbox Gives Additional Living Space:
They most likely began as modifications to the region’s Colonial-style and Cape Cod houses, as inhabitants sought to increase the size of their residences. Although George Hyland acquired the land on which this property was built in 1657, it was not until 1713 that his son-in-law, Isaac Parmele, completed construction on Hyland House. The five-bay-wide red saltbox house was restored by the architectural historian Norman Isham in 1917 and opened to the public as a house museum in 1918.
From the front view, one might easily confuse a saltbox house with a typical colonial-style residence, given its plain, balanced frontage. The saltbox house became a popular style for both new homes and was the simplest way to put an addition onto the back of an existing I-house that was so common in New England in colonial times. The style has remained popular for the centuries since inception because of the history and detail in every preserved home. There are several examples of meticulously cared for saltbox houses on the National Register of Historic Places. In coastal regions of New England, such as Cape Cod, Saltbox houses incorporated elements of the Cape Cod style. These houses were typically one or one-and-a-half stories high, with a symmetrical facade and a steeply sloped roof.
Home of the week: 1790 ‘saltbox’ home with an updated kitchen and period details - Boston.com
Home of the week: 1790 ‘saltbox’ home with an updated kitchen and period details.
Posted: Sun, 06 Mar 2016 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Although the same species of trees are used in hardwood floors today, the planks are usually much thinner as the trees are harvested at a younger age. In addition to the early saltbox houses, American Colonial-style architecture includes Georgian, Cape Cod, French Colonial, Spanish Colonial, and Dutch Colonial. Most original Saltbox homes were built using the timber framing construction method.
Both modernists and history buffs can find common aesthetic ground in saltbox-style homes. Modern adaptions of the style include renovations of historic saltbox homes, contemporary additions to existing structures, and new builds in the saltbox style. A saltbox house refers to a very specific style of house that was commonly built in the Northeast United States during the 17th and 18th centuries. The front of the house had two stories, while the back had only one, with a sloping gabled roof. The name saltbox refers to a type of wooden salt container that was popular at the time.
This Gorgeous New England Saltbox House Is Ivy League-Worthy (Literally!) - Country Living
This Gorgeous New England Saltbox House Is Ivy League-Worthy (Literally!).
Posted: Fri, 21 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The Saltbox architectural style was born as an adaptation to the harsh realities of early Colonial life. Families learned to be inventive with their simple means, and it’s the creative simplicity of these houses that still earns them admiration today. The weight of other types of roofs is often too heavy as they are built with metal or reinforced concrete.
IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Listing Broker has attempted to offer accurate data, but buyers are advised to confirm all data provided. There is always a need for more insulation to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Salt Boxes are not well adapted for heating or cooling, and if you live in a location that is frequently too cold or hot for comfort, you would be better off with a multi-level house design.
Saltbox houses are a sweet, quintessential east coast architectural style that appeared around the same time as colonial-style homes. The first saltboxes were built in the mid-1600s, meaning they have quite a long history in the United States. Saltbox houses get their name from wooden salt containers that people had in their homes during the 17th and 18th centuries. During this era, people ground their own salt from larger rocks of salt and stored it in a small, wooden box with a steep, pitched roof.
