 Native American Indians in the tidewater area of Virginia made longhouses or wigwams that were dry and warm in winter and cool in summer. A fire pit for cooking would be in the center. |
 Mats of woven plants covered the wood pole structure. It had a door at each end and a smokehole at the top. |
 Early settlers made houses to look like those they left in England with a small window, door, and fireplace. |
The settlers made a thatched roof of twigs (wattle). The wood frame was covered with daub (a combination of mud, straw, and clay). |
Many settlers became farmers. As they cleared forests, they used wood for their structures. |
 Small farms had simple houses made of wood and sometimes stone. This one room cabin had a loft for the children to sleep in, reached by climbing a ladder. |
A prosperous craftsman or merchant might live in this wood house in town. Notice the glass windows, shutters,brick chimney, and small fenced yard. |
 This house in Williamsburg, Virginia belonged to the wealthy landowner and lawyer Peyton Randolph. It had brick chimneys at both sides of the building and wood floors. It had a central hall and staircase. Bedrooms were on the second floor. |
