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Architects even borrowed this modest home style for public and commercial buildings. The Saltbox’s popularity outside New England dropped off around 1800, but didn’t see much decline within New England until the late 1830s. Built circa 1740, this saltbox, formerly the home of Ebenezer Fiske, is situated on a six-acre estate and still bears architectural relics of its colonial past, from a formal parlor to a beehive oven. It is said that the nearby well is where James Hayward of the Minutemen received his mortal wound after a surprise attack by the British during the Revolutionary War. A wedding gift to Jethro Coffin, the grandson of Nantucket proprietor Tristram Coffin, this one-and-a-half-story saltbox on Sunset Hill Road is the oldest home in Nantucket.
The Saltbox Gives Additional Living Space:
Because a saltbox style roof has no vertical supports, it’s comparatively lighter in weight. This also implies that the construction of a saltbox house can save money on the construction and repair of the roof. There are many saltbox houses remaining today and some are incredible historic landmarks.
Make the most of historical parts
Saltboxes were usually mounted on the wall near the food preparation area for easy access and had a slanted lid, attached with a metal hinge. Because the shape of these houses resembled a saltbox, the name caught on and is still the familiar name for this design. A favorite of professional designers, saltbox houses offer versatility in their straightforward layout and linear look. "The geometry of the house is so clean and simple," says interior designer Kelly Siekierka. "Anyone looking at this style of home should try to honor the history foremost, but also make as much use of the light-filled rooms as possible, thanks to the large windows around the exteriors." On the inside, saltbox homes take advantage of natural light and highlight views of the surrounding landscape.
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Small, vertically aligned windows were commonly found on the front facade, while larger windows were placed at the back, providing a view of the surrounding landscape. One distinguishing feature of early Saltbox houses in Colonial New England was the central chimney. The chimney provided heat throughout the house and served as the focal point for daily activities, such as cooking and gathering around the hearth.
The fresh wall color draws attention to the timeworn beams above, which are original. Mittleman finished them with a simple whitewash treatment to brighten and preserve them. All original floors were refinished using a wax coating to protect them for years to come. Built around 1675, the Hoxie House Museum in Sandwich, Massachusetts, is thought to be the oldest example of a saltbox-style home on Cape Cod. Originally the home of Rev. John Smith, Sandwich’s second minister, who lived there with his wife and 13 children, it is now known by the name of a whaling captain named Abraham Hoxie, who bought it in the 1850s. Today, the home belongs to the town of Sandwich and has been restored to its original condition.
Saving the Taxes:
A saltbox house is a 17th and 18th century-style home named after commonly used wooden salt containers from that period. Historic saltbox houses are easily identified by their signature one-sided sloped rooflines and simple colonial facades. Colonial New England Saltbox houses typically featured a two-story structure with a sloping roof that extended down the backside of the house, resembling the shape of a saltbox container. These houses were constructed using local materials, such as timber framing and hand-split wooden shingles for the exterior walls. Regardless of the period, saltbox houses were generally built to expand living space for families and help them weather New England's harsh climate. The sloping roof encouraged snow to melt more quickly in the sun while deflecting the strong winds expected in that region.
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Henry strives to write high quality guides and reviews that are easy to understand and practical to follow. Whether you are looking for the best electric riding lawn mower, the easiest way to remove paint from flooring, or the signs of a bad tile job, Henry has you covered with his insightful and honest articles. Henry lives in Florida with his wife and two kids, and enjoys spending his free time on DIY projects around the house. You can find some of his work on Today’s Homeowner, where he is a regular contributor. Rather than building a new roof, the contractors simply extended the existing roof to that level. It was always most popular in New England, but it grew in popularity across the United States until about 1800, when it became obsolete.
Where can you typically find saltbox houses?
Mittleman used Benjamin Moore's White Dove on all walls and ceilings for a consistently light and airy feeling. The quaint New England saltbox house is as distinctive to the region as crisp fall foliage, rocky coastlines, and picturesque winters. Inherently charming in their simplicity, these historic homes are scattered along the East Coast from the southern and coastal areas of Maine through Connecticut and Rhode Island. The saltbox originated in New England and is an example of American colonial architecture. Its shape evolved organically as an economical way to enlarge a house by adding a shed to a home's rear.
Early Examples of Saltbox Houses
The Saltbox house also adopted architectural elements from the English tradition, such as the central chimney. This design allowed for efficient heating throughout the house and provided a focal point for family activities. The Saltbox design efficiently utilized these resources by minimizing the amount of timber required for the back extension, while still providing ample living space on the second floor. Like other colonial homes, saltbox homes featured wood flooring in a thick-cut style. The wider planks were thanks to the abundance of mature trees in dense forests.
Alison is part of the content marketing team and enjoys writing about housing affordability and home interior design ideas. Her dream home is a cottage-style house with a chef’s kitchen and a cozy room to store and play vinyl records. Here are some points to consider if you’re looking to purchase one of these historic homes. Or, they may be painted a simple color such as blue, green, or white to reflect the surrounding landscape.
The result is a sun-filled, contemporary space with its original slanted ceilings, fireplaces, and floors still intact. "Those details have a romantic element to them that I'd never change," Mittleman says. A large central chimney is a classic look for Saltbox homes, but you’ll also find a minority fit with a pair of smaller end chimneys. As with many Colonial-style homes, Saltboxes often feature double-hung windows with four- or six-light window sashes. A rectangular transom window over the entrance for ventilation and light is more particular to Saltbox houses specifically. Some builders intentionally designed the main two-story section with a low or steeply pitched roof, then changed the roofline over the rear one-story space to provide enough ceiling height.
These lean-to extensions quickly became popular, resulting in the slanted roof design we see today. Modern saltbox homes still feature a sloping roof at the back of the building, reminiscent of the classic saltbox. But the modern versions often have contemporary touches, such as solar panels, concrete slab foundations, or a metal roof. They are also good candidates for modern upgrades, such as skylights, open floor plans, and woodstove inserts in their large fireplaces. The sturdy construction of saltbox houses has ensured that many of them are still standing, and able to provide a beautiful living space for many more years to come. The saltbox house often had a flat, Colonial-style facade in front, which, is very practical for the rainy, snowy New England weather.
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