Wednesday, June 01, 2011

The Saltbox - Classic New England

Wikipedia defines a saltbox as a building with a long, pitched roof that slopes down to the back, generally a wooden frame house. A saltbox has just one story in the back and two stories in the front. The flat front and central chimney are recognizable features, but the asymmetry of the unequal sides and the long, low rear roof line are the most distinctive features of a saltbox, which takes its name from its resemblance to a wooden lidded box in which salt was once kept.

Since the rear of roof descended to the height of a single-story building, the structure was exempt from Queen Anne's tax on structures over one story. Cape Cod is known for its classic Cape Cod style, but  the saltbox can be widely found on the Cape.

Check out the Wikipedia entry for the Saltbox...here.

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