Saltbox Architecture In Massachusetts
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A saltbox house is a
gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
-roofed residential structure that is typically two stories in the front and one in the rear. It is a traditional
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
style of home, originally
timber framed Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs. If the struc ...
, which takes its name from its resemblance to a wooden lidded box in which salt was once kept. The structure's unequal sides and long, low rear roofline are its most distinctive features. A flat front and central
chimney A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typical ...
are also recognizable traits.


Origins

The saltbox is an example of
American colonial architecture American colonial architecture includes several building design styles associated with the Colonial history of the United States, colonial period of the United States, including First Period English (late-medieval), Spanish Colonial, French Colon ...
, although it probably originated in Kent and East Anglia, coming across with the first wave of Puritans. Its shape evolved organically as an economical way to enlarge a house by adding a
shed A shed is typically a simple, single-storey (though some sheds may have two or more stories and or a loft) roofed structure, often used for storage, for hobby, hobbies, or as a workshop, and typically serving as outbuilding, such as in a bac ...
to a home's rear. Original hand-riven oak
clapboard Clapboard (), also called bevel siding, lap siding, and weatherboard, with regional variation in the definition of those terms, is wooden siding of a building in the form of horizontal boards, often overlapping. ''Clapboard'', in modern Am ...
s are still in place on some of the earliest New England saltboxes, such as the
Comfort Starr House The Comfort Starr House, located at 138 State St., Guilford, Connecticut, is a classic saltbox house with an added lean-to. According to a dendrochronology study, completed in 2014, the house was built in 1695. About The house derives its name ...
and
Ephraim Hawley House The Ephraim Hawley House is a privately owned Colonial American wooden Timber framing, post-and-beam timber-frame saltbox house situated on the ''Farm Highway'', Connecticut Route 108, Route 108, on the south side of ''Mischa Hill'', in Nichols, ...
. Once part of their exteriors, they are preserved in place in attics that were created when shed-roofed additions were added onto the homes. The style was popular for structures throughout the colonial period and into the
early Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...
for its ability to enlarge the footprint of an existing structure at a minimum of cost. It was most common in
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, the
Connecticut Valley The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...
, and in the
Western Reserve The Connecticut Western Reserve was a portion of land claimed by the Colony of Connecticut and later by the state of Connecticut in what is now mostly the northeastern region of Ohio. Warren, Ohio was the Historic Capital in Trumbull County. T ...
of
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
in the period from 1620 to mid 1700s, but continued to be built until around 1820. Saltbox homes can also be found in parts of
Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...
as well as in parts of Michigan's
Keweenaw Peninsula The Keweenaw Peninsula (, ) is a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Part of the greater landmass of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula, the Keweenaw Peninsula projects about northeasterly into Lake Superior, forming Keweena ...
.


Catslide

The roof style is also known as a catslide roof – any roof that, in part, extends down below the main
eave The eaves are the edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall and, normally, project beyond the side of a building. The eaves form an overhang to throw water clear of the walls and may be highly decorated as part of an architectural sty ...
height, providing greater area under the roof. If the roof continues at the same pitch, it is considered a "continuous catslide". In the United States, the term is applied to roofs on houses in the Southeast, especially stretching from
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
south and west through
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
, and from early colonial times to around 1910. The term was borrowed from 17th century England where it referred to a secondary roof, often at the side of a building. In the southern US, a catslide roof was usually covering a front or rear porch, often with a less steep pitch than the main roof. The term is applied to any roof with different eave heights, such as a house with one and a half stories above ground in the front and one story in the rear. The catslide could cover an open patio with a lower ceiling than the house, or could continue almost to the ground, creating a limited height storage area. A front vestibule could have a small catslide roof perpendicular to the main roof. A
dormer A dormer is a roofed structure, often containing a window, that projects vertically beyond the plane of a Roof pitch, pitched roof. A dormer window (also called ''dormer'') is a form of roof window. Dormers are commonly used to increase the ...
could be designed with a catslide.


Construction

Characteristic of most early New England colonial houses, early saltboxes were
timber framed Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs. If the struc ...
. Also known as post-and-beam construction, the technique
joins Join may refer to: * Join (law), to include additional counts or additional defendants on an indictment *In mathematics: ** Join (mathematics), a least upper bound of sets orders in lattice theory ** Join (topology), an operation combining two top ...
large pieces of wood with
mortise and tenon A mortise and tenon (occasionally mortice and tenon) is a Woodworking joints, joint that connects two pieces of wood or other material. Woodworking, Woodworkers around the world have used it for thousands of years to join pieces of wood, mainly ...
joints, wooden pegs, braces, or trusses. Metal nails were sparingly used, as they were an expensive commodity at the time. The exterior of a saltbox was often finished with clapboard or another wooden
siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) In rail terminology, a siding is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch lin ...
. The
Josiah Day House The Josiah Day House is a historic house museum at 70 Park Street in West Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Built about 1754, it is believed to be the oldest known brick saltbox style house in the United States. It was listed on the ...
in
West Springfield, Massachusetts West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 28,835 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is also known as "West ...
, is constructed of brick.


Images

File:Thomas Hawley House Monroe, Connecticut rear view.jpg, Multiple-pitched rear roof Thomas Hawley House File:EdmundRiceHome1643.jpg,
Edmund Rice Edmund is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and nobles *Ed ...
homestead in Sudbury (now
Wayland, Massachusetts Wayland is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was founded in 1638, and incorporated in 1780 and was originally part of neighboring Sudbury (incorporated 1639). At the 2020 United States census, the population wa ...
), destroyed by fire c. 1912 File:Macy-Colby House (front) - Amesbury, Massachusetts.JPG, c. 1651 Macy–Colby House, Amesbury, Massachusetts File:John Adams birthplace, Quincy, Massachusetts.JPG, c. 1681
John Adams Birthplace The John Adams Birthplace is a historic house at 133 Franklin Street in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is the saltbox home in which Founding Father and second president of the United States, John Adams, was born in 1735. The house was designated ...
, Quincy, Massachusetts File:Ephraim Hawley House Jan 2011.JPG, c. 1683
Ephraim Hawley House The Ephraim Hawley House is a privately owned Colonial American wooden Timber framing, post-and-beam timber-frame saltbox house situated on the ''Farm Highway'', Connecticut Route 108, Route 108, on the south side of ''Mischa Hill'', in Nichols, ...
, Nichols, Connecticut File:Comfort_Starr_House.jpg, c. 1695
Comfort Starr House The Comfort Starr House, located at 138 State St., Guilford, Connecticut, is a classic saltbox house with an added lean-to. According to a dendrochronology study, completed in 2014, the house was built in 1695. About The house derives its name ...
, Guilford, Connecticut File:Saltbox_side_elevation.png, Side elevation of c. 1695
Comfort Starr House The Comfort Starr House, located at 138 State St., Guilford, Connecticut, is a classic saltbox house with an added lean-to. According to a dendrochronology study, completed in 2014, the house was built in 1695. About The house derives its name ...
illustrating the multiple-pitched roof line File:Josiah Day House.jpg, c. 1754 Brick
Josiah Day House The Josiah Day House is a historic house museum at 70 Park Street in West Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Built about 1754, it is believed to be the oldest known brick saltbox style house in the United States. It was listed on the ...
West Springfield, Massachusetts File:Sturgeon House 2.jpg, c. 1838, Sturgeon House, Fairview, Pennsylvania


See also

*
List of house types This is a list of house types. Houses can be built in a large variety of configurations. A basic division is between free-standing or single-family detached homes and various types of attached or multi-family residential dwellings. Both may vary ...
*
Cape Cod (house) The Cape Cod house is defined as the classic North America, North American house. In the original design, Cape Cod houses had the following features: symmetry, steep roofs, central chimneys, windows at the door, flat design, one to one-and-a-half ...


References


External links


Saltbox Houses in the Historic American Buildings Survey
, Prints & Photographs Division - Library of Congress

, Prints & Photographs Division - Library of Congress
''Early Connecticut Houses: An Historical and Architectural Study'' By Norman Morrison Isham, Albert Frederic Brown
{{Architecture in the United States American architectural styles House styles 18th-century architecture 19th-century architecture Housing in the United States Vernacular architecture