Small House

Built by Old Sturbridge Village, 2007

Small House is Old Sturbridge Village’s newest “old” house, built with historic construction methods and materials between 2003 and 2007. The building reproduces the small homes that were common in New England in the early 1800s. Homes of this size or smaller might have sheltered newlywed couples, poor families, laborers, people of color, and renters.

Though small at 400 square feet, the Small House is multi-functional. The main room serves as both the kitchen and parlor, where most indoor work and social activity took place. The back room behind the stairs is a bedchamber and storage space. There, a family might have stored cheeses and other agricultural products. The unfinished attic is portrayed as another storage area and sleeping space for children and other household members.