Chipman Potato House

Last updated
Chipman Potato House
LRWalls-ChapmanPotatoHs2.jpg
USA Delaware location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationJunction of Roads 465 and 465A, Laurel, Delaware
Coordinates 38°33′37″N75°32′14″W / 38.56028°N 75.53722°W / 38.56028; -75.53722 Coordinates: 38°33′37″N75°32′14″W / 38.56028°N 75.53722°W / 38.56028; -75.53722
Area0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built byChipman, Ernest; Chipman, Joseph
Architectural styleOther, Potato house
MPS Sweet Potato Houses of Sussex County MPS
NRHP reference # 90001691 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 15, 1990

The Chipman Potato House was located near Laurel, Delaware, one of the last surviving examples of its building type. The southern part of Delaware saw a sweet potato boom from 1900 until blight struck in the 1940s. In order to store the crops, potato houses were built. The Chipman House was built in 1913 by Joseph and Ernest Chipman on their property with the assistance of Alva Hudson. The 2½ story balloon-framed house was furnished with sparse, shuttered windows and slatted floors, allowing adjustment of air circulation. Two stoves provided heat during the winter, one of which survives. [2] [3]

The Chipman potato house was modified for tractor access. Windows were once glazed beneath the shutters, a very unusual feature in a potato house. The internal structure used samson posts, a kind of capped column that is normally employed in mill construction to bear heavy loads, leading to speculation that the feature echos construction in the adjacent, now destroyed Chipman's Mill. The Chipman house was also unusual in plan, divided into four quadrants with 2.5-foot (0.76 m) walkways between. Each quadrant was divided into at least three bins. The attic was divided in two with a center aisle, for a total of 50 bins, typically 9 feet (2.7 m) by 3 feet (0.91 m). [3]

The Chipman Potato House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. [1] The structure was removed from the site in late 2017 or early 2018.

See also

Related Research Articles

Wilcox, Crittenden Mill United States historic place

The Wilcox, Crittenden Mill, also known as Wilcox, Crittenden Mill Historic District, is a 17-acre (6.9 ha) property in Middletown, Connecticut that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It was the location of the Wilcox, Crittenden company, a marine hardware firm. The historic district listing included four contributing buildings and three other contributing sites.

Aspendale (Kenton) United States historic place

Aspendale is a historic house and plantation property on Delaware Route 300 west of Kenton, Kent County, Delaware, United States. The main house, built 1771-73, has been in under a single family's ownership since construction, and is a rare well-preserved example of a Georgian "Quaker plan" house. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970.

Chipmans Mill United States historic place

Chipman's Mill was located near Laurel, Delaware, and is now the name of a Delaware State Park which encompasses the mill pond, including a boat ramp for fishing. Chipman's Mill functioned into the late 1940s. Arson destroyed the structures in November 1986.

Old Christ Church (Laurel, Delaware) United States historic place

Old Christ Church, also known as Old Lightwood, is a historic Episcopal church near Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware. The 1772 church resembles its parent church, Green Hill Church of Stepney Parish in Wicomico County, Maryland, except that while Stepney was built in brick, Christ Church is of wood construction. Its weathered appearance gave rise to a nickname "Old Lightwood," although it now is painted barn red.

A potato house is a structure built for the storage of harvested sweet potatoes. Such buildings were common in Sussex County, Delaware, and adjoining areas of Delaware, Maine, and Maryland in the early 20th century, when sweet potato production was at its local peak.

Wright Potato House United States historic place

The Wright Potato House was a small 1-1/2 story building near Laurel, Delaware that was built to store harvested sweet potatoes. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Gurdon Bill Store United States historic place

The Gurdon Bill Store is located in Ledyard, Connecticut. In 1818, the land for the store was purchased by Gurdon Bill and his partner, Philip Gray. In 1819, Gray sold his interest in the store for $500. Bill operated the store until his death in 1856 and the store is believed to have made its final transaction in 1868. It has not been used since it was sold to the Congregational Society in 1875, retaining its historical integrity. The store is an 18-by-30-foot by ​1 12-story gable-roofed clapboarded structure built upon fieldstone and stone blocks. It has some unusual architecture in the form of a pent-roof and three-part window shutters. Clouette describes the store as "the best preserved early 19th-century store known in Connecticut." The Gurdon Bill Store was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 12, 1982.

Delaware County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

The Delaware County Courthouse, located in Manchester, Iowa, United States, was built in 1894. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The current structure is the fourth building to house court functions and county administration.

Eagle Ranger Station United States historic place

The Eagle Ranger Station, also known as the Eagle Guard Station and presently known as the Sol Duc Ranger Station, is a complex of three buildings built in the 1930s in what would become Olympic National Park. The primary structures were built by the U.S. Forest Service in what was at the time the Olympic National Forest., While the main residence was built by the USFS, the generating plant and landscaping were built by the National Park Service using labor provided by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Collins Potato House United States historic place

The Collins Potato House is located near Laurel, Delaware, one of the last surviving examples of its building type. The southern part of Delaware saw a sweet potato boom from 1900 until blight struck in the 1940s. In order to store the crops, potato houses were built. The Collins house was the first to be built in the Little Creek Hundred region and dates to the late 19th century. Measuring 19 feet (5.8 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m), the two-story balloon-frame structure consists of a central aisle flanked by bins on both levels. There are five bins per side. An interior stair provides access to the first floor. Freeze protection was provided by a coal stove. Wall construction is in three layers, with interior planking, sheathing and weatherboard siding. The front elevation on the west side features door at the first and second floors, while the rear elevation has a door at the first floor and a window at the second. Small windows are in both gables for ventilation.

Stratford Methodist Episcopal Church United States historic place

The Stratford Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic former church building located near the city of Delaware, Ohio, United States. Constructed in the 1840s for workers in a company town, it was home to a congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church until the community faltered following the company's closure. Situated at the southern end of the company town, it remains prominent because of its architecture, and it has been named a historic site.

Hearn Potato House United States historic place

Hearn Potato House is a historic potato house located near Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware. It one of the last surviving examples of its building type. It was built about 1900, and is a 1 1/2-story, gable fronted, balloon frame structure resting on a brick foundation. It measures 18 feet, 3 inches, by 28 feet, 3 inches. It retains a number of important elements characteristic of potato house including: tall, narrow proportions, triple sheathing, hatched windows, interior chimney, storage bins, ventilation features, and gable front orientation.

E. L. Hitch Potato House United States historic place

E. L. Hitch Potato House is a historic potato house located near Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware. It one of the last surviving examples of its building type. It was built about 1920, and is a 1 1/2-story, gable fronted, balloon frame structure. It retains a number of important elements characteristic of potato house including: minimal fenestration, triple siding, interior and exterior doors, tightly shuttered windows, interior chimney, and storage bins.

Phillips Potato House United States historic place

Phillips Potato House is a historic potato house located near Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware. It one of the last surviving examples of its building type. It was built about 1900, and is a two-story, balloon frame structure on a concrete foundation and with a gable roof. It measures 24 feet by 29 feet, and is sheathed in green asbestos shingles over original weatherboards.

Ralph Potato House United States historic place

Ralph Potato House is a historic potato house located near Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware. It one of the last surviving examples of its building type. It was built about 1915, and is a 1 1/2-story, gable fronted, balloon frame structure on a brick foundation. It retains a number of important elements characteristic of potato house including: double sheathing, an interior brick chimney, shuttered openings, and gaps between walls and floorboards.

Rider Potato House United States historic place

Rider Potato House is a historic potato house located near Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware. It one of the last surviving examples of its building type. It was built about 1920, and is a 1 1/2-story, gable fronted, balloon frame structure on a brick foundation. It measures 18 feet, 5 inches, by 24 feet 5 inches. It retains a number of important elements characteristic of potato house including: shingled exterior, the quality of second floor paneled interior, ventilation features, and original sliding doors.

Stanley Potato House United States historic place

Stanley Potato House is a historic potato house located near Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware, United States. It one of the last surviving examples of its building type. It was built about 1920, and is a 1 1/2-story, gable fronted, balloon frame structure on a brick foundation. It measures 17 feet by 23 feet. It retains a number of important elements characteristic of potato house including: minimal fenestration, center aisle floor plan, double siding, and hatched loading doors.

Dickerson Potato House United States historic place

Dickerson Potato House is a historic potato house located near Delmar, Sussex County, Delaware. It one of the last surviving examples of its building type. It was built about 1900, and is a two-story, gable fronted, balloon frame structure on a brick foundation. It measures 30 feet 4 inches by 23 feet 3 inches. It retains a number of important elements characteristic of potato house including: multiple sheathing, gable end orientation, interior chimney, and closely fitting window hatches.

West Potato House United States historic place

West Potato House was a historic potato house located near Delmar, Sussex County, Delaware. It was one of the last surviving examples of its building type. It was built about 1925, and is a 1 1/2-story, gable fronted, balloon frame structure on a concrete block foundation. The house had a cellar. It measured 37 feet, 6 inches, by 13 feet, 9 inches. It retained a number of important elements characteristic of potato house including: tall, narrow proportions, minimal fenestration, ventilation features, and tightly fitting door hatches.

Moore Potato House United States historic place

Moore Potato House is a historic potato house located near Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware. It one of the last surviving examples of its building type. It was built about 1920, and is a 1 1/2-story, gable fronted, balloon frame structure. It measures 16 feet 6 inches, by 20 feet 4 inches. It retains a number of important elements characteristic of potato house including: tall and narrow proportions, triple siding, minimal fenestration, tightly fitting window hatches, and interior ventilation features.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Maynard, W. Barksdale (2008). "Western Sussex County". Buildings of Delaware. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. pp. 296–297. ISBN   978-0-8139-2702-2.
  3. 1 2 Quinn, Judith (December 23, 1987). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Chipman Potato House". National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-05-14.