Chapter 6 The Evolution of Exteriors
173
America in the early 1700s. The
log
cabin
originally was a one-room, rect-
angular house about 10 feet wide and 12
to 20 feet long.
Typical log cabins were built on a
stone or rock foundation to keep the logs
abovetheground.Thelogsweresquared
off and notches were cut on the top and
bottom of each end. The logs were then
stacked with the notched ends fi tted fi
together in the corners. Chinking—a fill- fi
ing of sticks and wood chips—was used
to fill the gaps between the logs and was fi
then covered with a layer of mud to fill fi
the remaining spaces. A door opening
and at least one window were then cut
into the house. The fi replace was built
of stone, and the fl oor was dirt or gravel fl
that had been raked smooth.
The log cabin had a gable roof. A
gable roof
comes to a high point in the
f
center and slopes on both sides, 6-6. A
gable is a triangle formed by a sloping
roof.
Log cabins were a popular style for
the North American midlands and fron-
tier, where timber was a readily avail-
able resource as a building material.
They are still popular today in many
areas as either a primary residence or
as a second home used for vacations.
Many companies specializing in manu-
factured log cabins offer a wide range of
floor plans and price ranges. They meet fl
the need that many home owners have
for a rustic style that depicts a simpler
lifestyle.
German
The majority of early
German
settlers,
who traveled from the region called
Germany today, arrived in North
America in the late seventeenth century.
They primarily settled in what is now
southeastern Pennsylvania. They built
large, durable homes of wood and field- fi
stone for warmth. The entry led to the
kitchen on the first floor. fi The fireplace fl fi
was in the center of the fi rst floor fi with fl
a family room for entertaining located
on the opposite side of the fireplace. fi
If the home was large enough, there
would be a number of small bedrooms
behind the family room. The houses were
constructed with gable roofs. Some also
had small roof ledges between the first fi
and second floors called fl
pent
roofs, 6-7.
Dutch
Dutch settlers founded settlements
in North America as early as 1614 in
what is now known as Albany, New
York. A later settlement began in 1626 in
New Amsterdam, which became New
York City. The first Dutch houses were fi
6-6
The original log
cabins looked very
similar to this one.
6-7
Germans who
settled in
Pennsylvania built
houses similar to
this. Many had a
pent roof—a small
ledge between the
fi rst and second fi
fl oor.
Photography Courtesy of
Bradley S. DeForest of the
Skippack Historical Society