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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.
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“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.
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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.
Three-quarter Cape Cod house style
White paint and black shutters was a popular pairing during the Cape Cod revival. However, you can always reinvigorate your façade with a different combination. A fresh coat of paint has the power to make or break a space, but don’t worry; when it comes to Cape Cod houses, it’s perfectly fine to keep your color palette simple. Before you dive into all of the nuances and rich history surrounding Cape Cod house style, it’s important to understand how it is defined. Many Cape Cod–style homes include decks or porches to make outdoor living more accessible. Both are very popular architectural styles, it just depends on your individual taste and what you prefer for your luxury home.
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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?
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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The history of Cape Cod architecture continued as the original wave of houses in this style was built from 1690 to 1850. The second wave, Cape Cod Revival, was built from the 1920s to the 1950s and helped popularize the style, spreading across the United States. Cape Cod interiors have furniture with clean, traditional lines, simple, minimalist shapes, and a timeless cottage charm.
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.
About the American Cape Cod Style House
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.
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.
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.
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.
They offer practical drainage and height for the half-story typically included in a Cape Cod home. The origins of Cape Cod houses date back to the 1600s when the first Puritan settlers arrived in America. The humble architecture is similar to an English cottage, but a few features were adapted to withstand the harsh New England climate better. The steeply pitched roofs, for example, are designed to allow heavy snow to slide off more easily in the winter. A 3/4 Cape or three-quarter Cape refers to the positioning of the door and windows on the layout of a Cape Cod house plan.
The names we attach to our residential architecture is telling of the times. People who live in small Cape Cod styles homes will rarely use the word "cottage" to describe where they live. Cape Cod architecture is one of American architecture's most popular and easily recognizable styles.
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