TO RECOGNIZE A TRUE CAPE COD HOUSE.

 

          1.They are one story and a half high.          4.The chimneys are large, and opposite the front door.

          2.They sit side to the road.                           5.The eaves do not  project.

          3.Their roofs are free of dormers.                 6.The front windows are set close to the roof.

 

                                                THERE ARE OTHER MODIFICATIONS.

 

          a. Some have two windows on each side of the front door.

          b. Some have one window on each side of the front door.

          c. Or. Two one side, one the other.    d. Or, two one side, none the other.

 

                                                THE FRONT DOORS, AND THE ROOFS.

 

i.                   The oldest Cape Cod houses have no side lights around doors.

ii.                 Some have side lights, and no transom lights above doors.

iii.              Early Cape homes had low ceilings, the door tops close to the eaves.

iv.               The roofs were low, the ceiling height in upstairs rooms, low.

 

AS YOU ENTER THE FRONT DOOR.

 

          You were met with a brick structure after entering a small vestibule at the front door. This contained two fireplaces to warm either of two rooms, entered through doors to right or left from the entering vestibule. The far side of the brickwork contained the Dutch oven and fireplace for cooking. This was the kitchen, and family room.

 

                                                EARLY LIVERPOOL CARPENTERS MODIFIED  THE STYLE.

 

          The early houses built followed the pattern, soon liberties were taken. Gambrel roofs gave more upstairs room. Roof dormers made the upstairs usable. Rooms were built at the rear as families grew, and barns were often attached to the ells. Fine examples of the early homes exist today, in Queens Co., NS.  .

 

                   Note:  A book written by Col. Leonard Smith entitled “Cape Cod Library of local History and Genealogy, contained an article by Katherine Crosby, in which she defines The Cape Cod House. The book was found in the Leonard Smith Genealogy Section of Largo, Fla, Public Library.