Prentis House
Encyclopedia
The Prentis House, built in 1773 in Hadley, Massachusetts
by the Dickenson family, is typical of the indigenous style of Saltbox
architecture that developed in New England
during the Colonial period and remained in use, particularly in rural areas, through the Revolution. The Prentis House is owned by the Shelburne Museum
in Shelburne, Vermont
, and furnished with 17th and 18th century period furniture and decorative arts.
Saltbox
architecture developed as builders devised a simple way to enlarge their European-inspired Capen Houses built during the early years of colonization. The term “Saltbox” refers to the structure’s characteristic asymmetrical roofline that extends on one side from the peak of the roof to the first floor thus resembling the profile of an early wooden salt container. Builders would typically position a saltbox structure so that the extended roof faced north diminishing the impact of winter winds while the façade windows faced south collecting warmth from the sun.
Typical of the style, Prentis House is built around a massive central chimney, which supports much of the building’s weight. Seven flue
s meet on the second floor in a huge beehive-shaped formation before the chimney narrows again at the roofline.
Hadley, Massachusetts
Hadley is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The population was 4,793 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The area around Hampshire Mall and Mountain Farms Mall along Route 9 is a major shopping destination for the surrounding...
by the Dickenson family, is typical of the indigenous style of Saltbox
Saltbox
A saltbox is 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...
architecture that developed in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
during the Colonial period and remained in use, particularly in rural areas, through the Revolution. The Prentis House is owned by the Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum is a museum of art and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds...
in Shelburne, Vermont
Shelburne, Vermont
Shelburne is a town in southwestern Chittenden County, Vermont, United States, along the shores of Lake Champlain. The population was 7,144 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, and furnished with 17th and 18th century period furniture and decorative arts.
Saltbox
Saltbox
A saltbox is 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...
architecture developed as builders devised a simple way to enlarge their European-inspired Capen Houses built during the early years of colonization. The term “Saltbox” refers to the structure’s characteristic asymmetrical roofline that extends on one side from the peak of the roof to the first floor thus resembling the profile of an early wooden salt container. Builders would typically position a saltbox structure so that the extended roof faced north diminishing the impact of winter winds while the façade windows faced south collecting warmth from the sun.
Typical of the style, Prentis House is built around a massive central chimney, which supports much of the building’s weight. Seven flue
Flue
A flue is a duct, pipe, or chimney for conveying exhaust gases from a fireplace, furnace, water heater, boiler, or generator to the outdoors. In the United States, they are also known as vents and for boilers as breeching for water heaters and modern furnaces...
s meet on the second floor in a huge beehive-shaped formation before the chimney narrows again at the roofline.