The Cape Cod Style House in the New World
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Dating back to New England during the 17th century, this classic style proves that keeping it simple is anything but boring. In fact, it’s not too hard to see how Cape Cod homes have deftly surpassed the test of time. The style of picturesque summer homes has remained popular for the connection to warm months and seaside escapes.
.. and has the perfect layout.
Likewise, just because a house is in Cape Cod, that doesn’t necessarily mean it falls within the style. Generally, any home that makes use of the architectural elements outlined above could be called a Cape Cod house. Still, these homes are most often found throughout the New England coast including areas like Cape Cod; Martha’s Vineyard; Nantucket; Watch Hill, Rhode Island; or even the Hamptons in New York. Who could have thought that a simple, rectangular house can capture the attention of the South, East Coast and even the rest of the country’s population?
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What to Look for in Cape Cod House Designs?
Reverend Timothy Dwight, a president of Yale University in Connecticut, recognized these houses as he traveled throughout the Massachusetts coastline, where Cape Cod juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. In an 1800 book describing his travels, Dwight is credited with coining the term "Cape Cod" to describe this prolific class or type of colonial architecture. Admired for its simple, timeless, clean-lined rectangular silhouette, steep roof, and central door, a Cape Cod house is likely what a child would draw if you asked them to draw a house. Homey and effortlessly appealing, the Cape Cod house style is the definition of cookie-cutter comfort-food architecture that has stood the test of time.
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Do all Cape Cods have dormers?
They are typically built with side-gabled roofs, which feature sloped sides along the front and back and pitched triangular areas on either side of the house. This stripped-down roofline distinguishes them from the cornucopia of roof angles and details often found in Victorian homes. Remembering that the original colonists of the New World took the journey because of freedom of religion, we should not be surprised at the Puritan-stark nature of America's first homes. The home had to function in the heat of summer and bone-chilling New England winters. Though Cape Cod cottages may, at times, come with the connotation of old money or coastal elite homeowners, they didn’t start like this. “The first settlers came from Plymouth and were just trying to survive,” McDonald explains.
Reasons Why the Classic Cape Remains Our Favorite House Style
“To me, that means that the old-timers were happy to call that smallest building a proper home,” she says. If you are lucky enough to live in an area with a lot Cape Cod homes, and are thinking of downsizing, consider one of these as your next home. "The Cape Cod style home is one of my favorites because of its human scale," says Lisa Hassler of Historic Homes Cape Cod / Kinlin Grover Real Estate in Cape Cod, MA. "It sits low to the ground, hunkering down against the winds, providing a warm, safe harbor."Indeed, while the rest of the country is throwing large sums of money at their heating bills, Cape owners sit back and relax. With just one-and-a-half stories, a Cape is a perfectly manageable size, offering little-to-no wasted space. Developers and architects anticipated a building boom after World War II.
Cape Cod Houses: The History and Characteristics of This Simple, Charming Home
Contemporary homes, on the other hand, can be more minimalistic, often utilizing a mix of materials for the exterior. You’ll typically find a centered front entry and windows which feature trimming and painted shutters. The roofs were constructed steep and tall, to easily shed rain and snow. This Cape Cod house has undergone some changes over time, but it remains a reminder of classic Americana, beloved for its charm, warmth, nostalgia, and practicality.
While Cape Cod house style is typically synonymous with American architecture, it actually dates back to the Puritan colonists back in the 17th century. When early settlers came to the United States, they decided to model their new abodes after their half-timbered homes from England — with a few upgrades to suit their new surroundings. Though Cape Cod houses had humble beginnings, they’ve evolved into coveted, beloved structures.
History of Cape Cod Houses
Regarding scale and proportion, these homes range from plain square or rectangular structures to massive abodes. Cape Cod-style homes were built throughout New England into the mid-1800s, when Victorian houses eclipsed them in popularity. But in the first few decades of the 20th century, the United States as a whole saw a revival of colonial-era architecture, including the classic Cape Cod cottage. As Peter points out, "Americans, swept by a renewed fascination with their country's past, were drawn to the architectural traditions of early settlers." The rectangular interior could be divided or not, with a large central chimney linked to a fireplace in each room. No doubt the first homes would have been one room, then two rooms — a master bedroom and a living area.
Defining elements and characteristics of a Cape Cod house
Cape Cod architecture is one of the most instantly recognizable home styles in the United States. At its core, an original Cape Cod house is a small, rectangular, unadorned one to one-and-a-half-story cottage with side gables and a steeply pitched roof to keep snow from piling up. This style was quite rare as it was exclusively reserved for the wealthy. The double cape features a front door in the central part of the house with two symmetrically placed multi-paned windows on either side. There is also a huge chimney and a steep roof as the defining characteristics of a full cape.
Original colonial houses in New England are more often 2 stories than the traditional 1 or 1½ story homes we call Cape Cod. And many of the homes we call Cape Cod style are actually found on Cape Ann, northeast of Boston. According to McDonald, when in their native setting, there are little disadvantages to living in a Cape Cod house. “These houses would be at home in nearly any seasonal resort type area in Southern New England.” However, the small footprint of this type of house—in its most traditional sense—can be disadvantageous for some.
The smaller size can be a positive attribute for Cape Cod homes, making them affordable, practical, and efficient – yet cozy and charming. There’s less space to clean, heat, maintain, or furnish, and many rooms are multi-functional, with built-in shelving and storage features. The exterior commonly features a smaller yard, which means less mowing and shoveling. The steep roofs also prevent heavy snow from accumulating over the winter. Overall, the Cape Cod-style house is an excellent choice for homebuyers searching for a modestly sized home, whether as a starter home or when it’s time to downsize. Colonial homes are historically considered an offshoot of the original Cape Cod homes and are usually bigger.
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