Expert Home Advice | December 2015

House care answers from the largest heritage organization in the country.

My sister recently bought a home in western Massachusetts that was built around 1830. The most interesting discovery about the place was that the original location of the kitchen was in the basement. Was that typical of homes from that era? Why?

Basement kitchens are uncommon. Historically, kitchen locations have varied with time and place and also with the wealth of the owner. Grand houses in densely settled 18th –century cities, for example, might have had kitchens at the basement level, but these were the exception, at least in the United States. And in the 17th century, kitchens as such did not exist but were simply part of what was called the “hall,” a multi-purpose cooking, eating, and sleeping space surrounding a large cooking hearth in the main body of the house. Long before 1830, kitchens had shifted away from the formal front rooms of the house to less public, more functional spaces in a rear lean-to, or a room across the back of the house, or in an ell. Where there is evidence of a kitchen in the basement, it may relate to seasonal use, in summer, or for processing volumes of harvest produce.

Sally Zimmerman, Senior Manager of Preservation Services.

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I recently purchased an old farmhouse that was sided some time ago with particle board that’s made to look like wide-board planks. I’d like to have the house repainted but wonder if the home’s original clapboard siding is still underneath it. What would be the best way to find out?

Particle board, also known as hardboard or pressboard, is one of many synthetic siding materials that have been used to cover original clapboard siding and quickly refresh the appearance of a house, usually when it needed painting. Only very rarely were all the underlying clapboards and trim ever removed before the new siding was applied. To find out what’s hiding underneath, check the bottom edge of the siding. If your house has no trim board at the bottom, crouch down and look up at the edge to check for earlier layers under the current surface. If you do have a trim board at the base, you may need to pry a bit of the later siding off to see what’s underneath. In any case, with an old house, getting later siding off can pay big dividends in giving your place a more authentic appearance. You’ll also have the added peace of mind of being able to locate moisture problems and deterioration that later siding can mask.

Sally Zimmerman, Senior Manager of Preservation Services.

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What are some easy ways to date an old house?

You may want to start by checking with your State Historic Preservation Office [http://www.ncshpo.org/shpodirectory.shtml] to see if there’s any information on file. Preservationists in thousands of cities and towns nationally have completed community-wide cultural resource surveys. Many properties have already been digitally scanned, so a quick answer on the date of a number of old houses is often just a few clicks away on what’s called an inventory or survey form in the state office.

If there’s no survey form on file, look to three separate strands of evidence: 1) documents, such as land records, deeds, and historic maps, 2) architectural style, and 3) construction materials and methods. No one strand of evidence alone can suffice, but information gleaned from all three builds the case for determining the age of a house. When in doubt, ask an expert. Organizations like Historic New England, local historical societies, and area preservation groups may be able to put you in touch with specialists experienced in deciphering the age of an old house.

Sally Zimmerman, Senior Manager of Preservation Services.

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Got a question about an old house you need answered? Submit your questions to Historic New England at:Plus@YankeePub.com.

Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization in the nation. Historic New England shares the region’s history through vast collections, publications, programs, museum properties, archives, and stories that document more than 400 years of life in New England. For more information visit: HistoricNewEngland.org.