Long before it became fashionable and trendy, living on a small scale was quite common. In most towns and cities, the earliest houses were built on a modest and utilitarian scale. Many such structures, particularly those of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, were destroyed long ago. A few examples have survived, usually when they were absorbed into a larger house as the result of numerous additions. Most did not survive, however, because their locations typically became prime commercial real estate.
Such is the case with this small house. Though only a hundred years old, the house is similar in size and scale to many of its earlier counterparts. This house is unusual in that it appears to have a full basement. Sadly, its days are likely numbered because it sits on a busy street in Wray, Colorado, a scenic town experiencing growth. I drove by recently and noticed that both it and its larger next-door neighbor are now empty and neglected. It is now only a matter of time before both are demolished and replaced with some commercial establishment. Hopefully someone desirous of a tiny house will have this one moved, but that is probably too much to hope for.
One room wide and two rooms deep, this small house was built for utility and shaped more by financial constraints than the desire to be fashionable.
The front gable, single window and door evoke the minimalist facade so frequently drawn by children when asked to draw “home”. Someone clearly loved this house; the whimsical rabbit remains as evidence.
Goodbye.
That is very cute! That is where my wife would like us to move.
A tiny house or Colorado?
My wife loves these tiny houses (she might like Colorado as well. . .)
I’m living in two rooms now while work on the house continues. Living small can be fun, but the novelty wears off rather quickly!
I bet. That is the joy of having a partner. I always want more space, she thinks we should live in less to have less to take care of. Looking forward to see what you are working on!
I live most of the time in an office I built in my warehouse (84 sf) but my stuff occupies 5000 sf in the warehouse. it forces you to make good choices.
almost rented one this size many years ago. it also had a cellar but you had to go outside to get down there.
if this gets trashed, promise me you’ll save the rabbit – it’s priceless.
is that stucco or just concrete?
The house is stuccoed over frame construction built on a concrete foundation. I think the rabbit is a vinyl appliqué, but I’ll try to see if it is salvageable.
Wow, that is tiny! It’s also odd that the wood shingle roof has lasted this long.
When we were house-hunting, I saw a listing for a very small 1-bedroom house on a full-size city lot (50×150). It was a curious sight.
A lot of the old wood shingles were treated in boiled linseed oil and then painted with an oil-based paint prior to being installed. The technique gave them an astounding life expectancy. I run across abandoned houses still retaining their original roofs on a surprisingly frequent basis!