7. The Cape Cod

The early American settlers built Cape Cods along the wind-blown coasts of New England and New Brunswick. They were usually constructed by shipwrights and were extremely tight. The houses were normally very plain due to the damaging winds that swept the area. Where shutters existed, they were not for decoration, but to be swung shut to protect the smallish, expensive windows.What to look for (clues)

• A small 1 ½ story building where the moderately steep roof extends down to the top of the main story.

• Roof and house are normally covered by wooden shingles that are left unpainted and weather to a gray colour. Newer houses would generally be wood and painted.
  

• A large chimney straddles the roof behind the front door.

• The specific type of Cape Cod ( full, ¾, or ½ ) depends upon the number and location of the windows in relation to the door.

• This example at the top is a ‘full’ Cape Cod on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick very close to Maine. The next picture is located at Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia.
  

Where to find it

The Cape Cod style was originally constructed in the 1600’s close to the Atlantic Ocean shoreline. Surprisingly, the style, or at least Colonial Revival Versions, became popular in the time period around 1930 to 1960, but this time they were built in suburbs around Ontario towns and cities. (They are no longer encased in wooden shingles.)

The red brick house is in Waterloo, the 'yellow' brick in Kitchener.