Houses
Colonial Homes
When the colonist first came they lived in caves until they could build houses. The cave just had one room. In the room there might be things like a fireplace, a bench, a table, wooden chairs and maybe a chest to put things in. Some people would only have a straw mattress to sleep on and a fireplace to keep warm. When they built homes they would be made of boards. Some of the homes would have only one floor, but some had two. They all had firepalces and a few windows.
In the Middle Colonies most of the houses were made of wood and mud. One room was called a keeping room. They would cooked, cleaned, and sleep in the keeping room. Parents and babies slept in the keeping room, and older children slept in the attic. If they had barns where animals, lanterns, and tools were kept. They did everything in the house like work and play. They did not have many windows and they were small.
The things that were used by the colonists for building were wood, brick, and sometimes rocks. At first all houses were made of wood because it was the easiest thing to find. They would use clay to make their chimneys but it was not strong enough to use to build houses. House were made of wood until the eighteenth century then they started to make building out of bricks.
In the Middle Colonies most of the houses were made of wood and mud. One room was called a keeping room. They would cooked, cleaned, and sleep in the keeping room. Parents and babies slept in the keeping room, and older children slept in the attic. If they had barns where animals, lanterns, and tools were kept. They did everything in the house like work and play. They did not have many windows and they were small.
The things that were used by the colonists for building were wood, brick, and sometimes rocks. At first all houses were made of wood because it was the easiest thing to find. They would use clay to make their chimneys but it was not strong enough to use to build houses. House were made of wood until the eighteenth century then they started to make building out of bricks.