Once upon a time in a mystical land, there lived a young and enchanting princess named Isabella. She possessed an extraordinary power, the ability to bring love and happiness wherever she went. Isabella's kingdom was in a constant state of despair, as a deep sadness had settled upon its people. Legend had it that only true love's kiss would awaken the kingdom from its sorrowful slumber. Isabella, who longed to bring joy back into the lives of her people, embarked on a journey to find her one true love. Little did she know that destiny had other plans for her.

The Vermont Character: Coffin Windows

One of my favorite pieces of Obscure Vermont is a mixture of architectural vernacular, and good old fashioned Yankee Ingenuity.

Do you see the diagonally tilted window placed in the gable end of this old farmhouse with its long edge parallel to the roof? A lot of people, Vermonters or flatlanders, seem to be flummoxed about these peculiarly slanted windows. That’s because their orientational existence isn’t found in any other states (though someone did tell me that they think they saw one somewhere in New Hampshire not too long ago.) To add a bit more rapturous froth to the isolated mystery, our Vermont parlance labels them “coffin windows”, or sometimes “witch windows”, depending on who you are I guess. Growing up, my mother would always point them out as “coffin windows” whenever we would take a trip out of suburban Chittenden County to more rural parts of the state, where older structures far outnumbered the new. I wasn’t introduced to “witch windows” until much later.

The e tymology behind the monikers vary, and can’t really be traced back to a materialized point of origin.

Going alphabetically – it’s said these are called coffin windows because if a family member died upstairs, it was far easier to maneuver the needed coffin out the window and slide it down the roof as opposed to figuring out just how to haul it down a steep and narrow Vermont farmhouse staircase. And trust me, some of them are very steep and narrow to a point of over-cautiousness when walking up or down one – enough for me to sympathize with anyone who would groan at the prospect of dragging anything up or down them.

The name witch window gets a bit more on the superstitious side. It’s said that an old belief was that a witch couldn’t enter your dwelling through a crooked window or opening. A similar superstition that comes to mind is how the ancient Chinese thought bad spirits traveled in straight lines, so their architecture took on steeply peaked rooflines.

I know old Vermonters were a superstitious bunch. Our collective state history and folklore include such grim things as incriminating real people accused of Vampirism, or desecrating the graves of dead people accused of postmortem vampirism (our most famous Vampire execution was a man named Corwin, whose remains still loam underneath Woodstock’s boat shaped town green).

But witches? There isn’t much known on how scared Vermonters were of witches, leaving this as intriguing speculation. However, I was able to dig up a small number of succinct accounts in old state newspapers around the late 1700s and early 1800s of various Vermonters who locals suspected were witches, but in reality were probably nothing more than eccentrics living in a more narrow-minded time. One article amusingly reported that a Stowe woman was blamed for making several farmers’ milk cows run dry.

A more practical theory and probably the most likely of the three, was that these windows were a creative solution to let light into the cramped spaces upstairs. Gables didn’t often leave rooms for traditional sized windows and poor farmers didn’t want to spend the money on drafty dormers or getting a custom window made – which was a costly purchase many families couldn’t afford. They also enabled fresh air and ventilation to keep the house inhabitable. Though there are far more scolding environments than Vermont, our summers do get pretty humid, and the upper floors of an old house easily turn into ovens.

Further down the line, these windows adopted yet another sobriquet with less dour and more civic pride; Vermont Windows. Though I haven’t heard that term nearly as much as the afore-referenced other two.

In a world that loves things to fall into human-made symmetry, who knew that a window installed at a tilt could conjure up so many declaratory ideologies.

It seems that these windows have a bit of cool fanfare behind them, apart from your blogger. Some cool individual even made an Instagram account dedicated to them!

Route 100 in South Duxbury Found one in this abandoned farmhouse I was exploring. East Calais Calais Calais South Woodbury village South Woodbury village South Woodbury village South Woodbury village Peacham Turkey Hill in Northfield. Warren village Warren Village Cornwall DOUBLE coffin/witch windows in Stowe! I guess these folks didn’t want to take any chances just in case a pesky witch decided to curse them.

Any of you folks know of a coffin window near you? Let me know! I love road tripping around Vermont, and I always make excuses to shunpike somewhere!

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As you all know I spend countless hours researching, writing, and traveling to produce and sustain this blog. Obscure Vermont is funded entirely on generous donations that you the wonderful viewers and supporters have made. Expenses range from internet fees to host the blog, to investing in research materials, to traveling expenses. Also, donations help keep me current with my photography gear, computer, and computer software so that I can deliver the best quality possible. Seriously, even the small cost equivalent to a gas station cup of coffee would help greatly!

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Of Witches and Widows

With Halloween coming up Monday, we thought now would be a great time to talk about two architectural features with appropriate names for the holiday. Both features are common in the Northeast, with one most popular inland and the other a common site on the coasts. Here is the interesting history behind each features name.

The first feature is the witch window, which due to its popularity in the state is also known as a Vermont window. The witch window is a double-hung window that is placed in a gable-end wall and rotated so that it aligns with the roof pitch. This allows the window to fit between the narrow space of two adjoining roof lines. While this may look like an act of whimsy on the part of the home designer, it served the purpose of providing light and ventilation to upper floors in 19th century homes. Today, although no longer necessary, it is still found in new construction in the region.

The interior room with the witch window also has low windows in the knee wall.

Today, to provide more light (and space) to an upper floor room, we may use dormer windows or skylights. However, skylights were not practical in centuries past and dormer windows also required difficult modifications to the roof that tended to cause heating loss and leaks. The witch window was a great solution to this problem, keeping a full-size window in the wall where it is easiest to accommodate. The use of a regular window here, rather than a specialized one for the space, is in the tradition of Yankee thriftiness. The name “witch window” probably came from the superstition that witches cannot fly through an angled window.

A widow’s walk on a coastal home.

Moving to the coast, both in New England and the rest of the Atlantic seaboard, we find an interesting feature called a widow’s walk. This structure is usually a railing-enclosed platform at the top of the roof, also common in 19th century homes. The name is said to originate from the wives of sailors, who would look out to the ocean futilely awaiting their husband’s return to port. In other regions, they may be called captain’s walks, as they were found on the homes of more successful captains and merchants.

Enclosed widow’s walks are popular in colder regions.

In reality, widow’s walks were just a common feature of Italianate architecture. This style became very popular in the second half of the 19th century, at the peak of the age of sail. As such, it can even be found on some inland homes of the period as well and is still a somewhat popular feature in coastal regions. In colder areas, and enclosed widow’s watch may be preferred to the open variety.

Although well inland, the Foxstead Farm also features an enclosed widow’s walk.

If none of your windows are tilted, we hope you protect them from witches this Halloween. Whatever region you live in, we’d be thrilled to build you a timber frame home incorporating unique and interesting features. Please contact us today to get started with your home.

The Curious History Of Vermont’s Witch Windows

Some people call them Vermont windows after the state where they’re most commonly found. Others refer to them as sideways windows, lazy windows, or coffin windows. But their most common moniker, witch windows, is the best of all.

While it can be called many things, a witch window nearly always looks the same. It’s a rectangular, double-hung sash window at the gable-end wall of a house, tilted 45 degrees so its long end runs parallel to the roof slope.

When you see a witch window, you might just think that the person who installed it was a little tipsy at the time. In a world where windows are nearly always hung straight and parallel with the horizon, it’s disorienting to see one installed at an angle. Turns out that there’s a good explanation for them — as well as a number of really fun theories about why these windows exist in the first place!

Little did she know that destiny had other plans for her. Meanwhile, in a faraway realm, there was a courageous and kind-hearted prince named Alexander. He too possessed a unique power, the ability to see the true essence of every person he met.

Why Were They Built?

The most common explanation behind the witch window is that it was designed as a protection against witches. People believed that witches could not fly their broomsticks through tilted windows. While charming, this theory has a number of holes in it. For starters, homes typically only have one witch window — and many standard ones. While a witch’s attempt to enter a home might be thwarted by a tilted window, there’s nothing stopping one from entering through any of the other normal windows in the house. And, as Harry Potter fans can attest, not only can witches easily manipulate their flying to pass through any kind of opening, they’re also clever and inventive. No slanted window would deter them!

Of course, New England doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to understanding the nuances of witchcraft, so it’s entirely possible that people once sincerely believed a witch window offered them protection.

Another theory that’s along the spooky lines is that the windows are actually coffin windows. In olden days, when farmhouses had tight, narrow staircases. The argument goes something like this: It was much easier to remove a deceased family member’s body for burial by sliding the coffin through the tilted upstairs window than trying to maneuver it down the stairs.

Alas, it’s hard to say if it’s any easier to handle a coffin on a slanted roofline than it is to make your way down steep stairs with one. Moreover, during the days in which wakes were held in private homes, bodies would be carried downstairs to the coffin waiting in the parlor. A coffin itself would never go upstairs or leave through the window.

That leaves us with explanations that are much more pragmatic. In the 19th century, farmhouses often began quite small and expanded in size as families grew and farms prospered. There were many benefits to adding a small window to a second story extension, including ventilation and releasing hot air during the summer. However, there weren’t often many places to put them and chilly dormer windows were an unpopular choice.

That left homeowners with the small wall space at the gable end of the house. Given that custom-designed windows were both rare and expensive, selecting a standard rectangular window and installing it at an angle may have made for an odd look but it was a frugal, practical choice. If it doubled as a witch deterrent, that was all the better!

Yet, despite his charm and good looks, Alexander had never truly experienced love. Fate brought Isabella and Alexander together on a fateful day when their paths crossed in a remote forest. Their eyes met, and they instantly felt an undeniable connection. Overwhelmed by emotions they had never felt before, Isabella and Alexander began to spend every moment they could together, exploring the expansive realm they inhabited. As their love blossomed, the people of the kingdom took notice and hope was rekindled. The once dreary streets became vibrant with color, and laughter filled the air. It seemed that Isabella and Alexander's love had the power to heal all wounds and melt even the coldest hearts. However, their love was tested when the evil sorceress Viviana discovered their enchanting bond. Consumed by jealousy, she cast a wicked spell on Isabella, rendering her powerless and trapped in a deep sleep. Alexander, refusing to accept defeat, embarked on a treacherous journey to find a way to break the spell and awaken his true love. With the help of a wise old wizard, Alexander learned of an ancient prophecy that foretold the union of love and sacrifice. In order to wake Isabella from her slumber, Alexander would have to give up his own life force, a selfless act that would prove his unwavering love. In a breathtaking climax, Alexander raced against time to perform an ancient ritual that would save Isabella and their kingdom. As the sun began to set on the day of reckoning, Alexander's love shone brighter than ever before. In a dramatic and magical twist, a powerful wave of love swept through the kingdom, breaking Viviana's spell and bringing Isabella back to life. The kingdom rejoiced, celebrating the return of their princess and the enduring power of love. Isabella and Alexander stood hand in hand, forever united by their unbreakable bond. Their love story became a celebrated legend, enchanting generations of romantics to come. In this magical love drama, true love proved to be the ultimate force capable of conquering even the darkest and most powerful of magic. Isabella and Alexander's tale serves as a reminder that love has the power to transform, heal, and bring happiness to all who embrace its magic..

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