by Glenn M. Travis, Principal, GMT Home Design
The c.1680 Saltbox Colonial home where US President John Adams was born. Photo: US National Park Service.
Have you ever seen a New England Saltbox Colonial home and wondered how and why it got its unique design? It's a great story that combines our region's heritage and weather.
Today, you can find Saltbox Colonials driving around Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. They are particularly prevalent in coastal areas such as Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Of course the coast was home to many of the first English settlers. New England's rugged coastal terrain, where homes needed to be built on small lots and withstand harsh weather conditions, was similar to parts of England itself — windy and cold — so the Saltbox style of building a house was brought along from England.
Where did the "Saltbox Colonial" name come from?
The term "Saltbox" refers to a wooden box with a sloping lid that was used to store salt. When English settlers brought the Colonial home design to America in the 17th century, they adapted it into a style of architecture that we now know as the Saltbox Colonial home.
The earliest Saltbox homes were built in New England in the 1650s. Fun fact: John Adams' birthplace, and later his first law office, was a Saltbox Colonial built around 1680 in Quincy, Mass. It's maintained today by the US National Park Service.
Where the classic Colonial home design was two stories high and two rooms deep, as families grew they needed more living space. And in narrow lots, the limited room available for additional building would be at the back of the home. So Saltbox Colonials came to be when homeowners added a single floor room (or rooms) off the back.
The result was a steep roofline that sloped down to the rear of the house, with a lean-to addition for extra living space. The central chimney provided heat for the entire home, and the asymmetrical design allowed the house to be built on small lots.
The Saltbox design was practical and adaptable, which made it a popular choice for early settlers. As families grew and needs changed, additions could be made to the rear of the house, creating more living space without altering the front facade.
Small outbuilding in saltbox style.
Weathering the weather: key features of the Saltbox Colonial style
However, living space wasn't the only consideration. The sloped roof also has a key role in protecting the house from the New England elements.
Like many rooflines on New England homes, the Saltbox helps shed wind, rain, and snow. These early houses were ideally built with the front facing south, to capture as much sunlight as possible from the southern sun in winter. Cold winds from the north — you know, Nor'easters — could sweep up and over the Saltbox roof, rather than hitting the walls squarely, while snow and rain could more easily slide down and off the structure.
Today, Saltbox Colonial homes are still beloved for their unique and distinctive architecture. Many have been preserved or restored to their original beauty, while others have been updated to meet the needs of modern living. Like low stone farm walls and white picket fences, the Saltbox design remains a beautiful and distinctive symbol of New England's rich history and architectural heritage.
At GMT, we love this style of home and also the many creative ways that homeowners are remodeling these spaces to fit modern living, while keeping (or even adding) traditional Saltbox elements that make these houses unique.
Our next post will look into some of those remodeling strategies for Saltbox Colonial homes.
About the author: GMT Home Designs founder Glenn M. Travis has lived and worked in New England all his life, with 30+ years' experience in architectural design. Learn more about us.