Cape Cod

A Cape Cod house is a low, broad, single or double-story frame building with a moderately-steep-pitched gabled roof, a large central chimney, and very little ornamentation. Originating in New England in the 17th century, the simple symmetrical design was constructed of local materials to withstand the stormy weather of Cape Cod. It features a central front door flanked by multipaned windows. The space above the first floor was often left as unfinished attic space, with or without windows on the gable ends. The building type enjoyed a boom in popularity and adaptation to modern needs in the 1930s–1950s, particularly with Colonial Revival embellishments. It remains a feature of New England homebuilding. History The Cape Cod cottage–type house (it is a form or type, not a style, though commonly mistakenly referred to as a style) originated in the wood-building counties of England and was brought to America by Puritan carpenters. The harsh climate of New England tested the pioneers' ingenuity, and by lowering the house and pulling its plan into more of a square footprint, they transported the English hall and parlor house, now called the Cape Cod cottage. The type has survived and emerged as a one- to one-and-a-half-story house with wooden shutters and a clapboard or shingle exterior. Using local materials—cedar for roofing and siding shingles, oak and pine for framing and flooring—settlers built houses locally adapted to New England's extreme winter climate. Temperatures in January and February can drop to , with snow accumulations often reaching several feet. To fight the chill, they built massive central chimneys and low-ceilinged rooms to conserve heat. The steep-roof characteristic of New England homes minimized snow load. Finally, colonists installed shutters on the windows to hold back heavy winds.