The best way to learn about historic houses is to look at them closely, and the most fun way to look at them closely is to do a puzzle showing a wonderful historic house! So, we made a unique and interesting collection of Historic House Puzzles for you to enjoy!
This Greek Revival cape with later alterations was originally the home of Lewis and Susan Hanson, my great great great grandparents. After their time, it was home to other families until 1946. My grandparents Lewis and Ruth Hanson bought it then and my father grew up there. It was sold out of the family again when I was an infant.
Architecturally, it is a nice example of a rural Greek Revival cape. The Mansard roof on the ell indicates the house was expanded around the time of the Civil War. Historic photos show the front porch across the full width of the house wrapping around the corner. The shed dormer on the front is likely a somewhat later alteration. The enclosure of the side porch happened in recent decades.
While not particularly significant architecturally, the house is a wonderful example of how historic houses are adapted over time to suit the needs of different owners, hopefully in ways that don’t destroy the character of the house.
“Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners” explores how to identify alterations that happened over time.
Click on the dashed box at the top-right in the puzzle box below to open the puzzle to full screen. In the top left, you can change the number of pieces (100 pieces is the default), toggle piece rotation, and change the background color. Then hit “OK” and have fun!