Readers
respond to Mystery House #36
Lost
in Time
Amy, You should take a look at the book called, A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia and Lee McAlester. It has a section on folk houses. I think if you look at the subsection "Folk Houses - National" you will find something very similar to your home. The McAlesters call it "Gable front and wing".
I grew up in a house of this style in upstate N.Y. and we were surrounded by many others of the same style. It was generally a fairly unornamented home so I doubt your front window was original, possibly even the shutters were a later addition. As far as interiors go, the house I grew up in was a simple floor plan with the living room in one gable and the dining in the other, kitchen, stairs and a den occupying the intersecting space. A bathroom had been added later in the den space. It had two french doors, one entering the living and one entering the dining both off the porch. Windows, of course, were simple double hung windows. Ours had a fireplace in the living room gable end and lightning rods on the roof (probably because it was built on a hill) that added a bit or ornamentation. Hardwood floors throughout, a coal bin built into the back corner of the home made a good, if somewhat dark, "playhouse" when we were growing up.
Hope this helps.
From Ken:
Hi, You mention new siding and trim. I hope you don't mean vinyl. You will ruin your house and neighborhood.
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