"King Philip’s War, houses?" Topic

I guess this is the right board. Anyway, I am getting into KPW. Ordered a fair force of figures from Brigade Games. Now onto terrain. Google searches show fairly substantial homes. Would that be typical of he late 17th century New England colonies?

Garrison houses were "popular" in New England at that time.

They are basically two stories, with the upper story slightly overhanging the lower story.

If you google "Garrison House" you should find some images.

The one from my hometown, Chelmsford, Massachusetts, is a sort of living history museum.

There are a number of other ones too.

Basically, it's a fortified house, with a palisade around an area about the house.

Look up the Raid on Oyster River (Durham, NH) or Groton, MA for more information.

Good luck!

Eric

Early colonial houses looked just like their English counter parts, so timber framed wattle and dob. Due to the prevalence of timber in the new world, wood siding replaced wattle and dob in newer construction. Google "post medieval English architecture." It is also known as "First Period." A few buildings were made of stone, and some houses were reinforced with bricks on the interior. If possible, people would try to get to the relative safety of the stone or reinforced buildings and these were used as strong points. You may also find palisades around the town meeting house and some surrounding buildings. Palisades were not designed to be impregnable but, rather, were designed to help blunt the attack and slow the Indians down.

"wattle and dob"
link

Thanks to all for the input.

Don't forget "saltbox" houses. Note also that windows were small and of casement design. Windows were often asymmetric, unlike later Georgian design.

Colonial authorities decreed that settlements have the garrison houses mentioned above. These were to to solid construction and equipped with supplies to withstand a raid.

The Bourne garrison house was octagonal. The settlement was spread out to the point where the garrison house seemed to be out of shot from the other farms. When I built my KPW buildings I used a mix of the 4 ground log buildings and clapboard.