Talk:Sturgeon House

A fact from Sturgeon House appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 6 June 2011 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that the Sturgeon House in Fairview is a rare example of a saltbox house in northwestern Pennsylvania?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2011/June.

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Description

The description of this house doesn't do it's anomalies justice.

The Sturgeon House is located at the intersection of Water Street and Avonia Road (Pennsylvania Route 98). The house is a rare example of a saltbox house in northwestern Pennsylvania, as well as a house with a recessed side porch.[2] The house is constructed of "stone foundation walls and topped with heavy timber sills which are notched to receive log form beams."[2] The roof of the house is slanted at an angle of 30 degrees.[2] The front door is framed by a cornice and Federal-style entablature and pilaster.[2]

"front door" and "recessed side porch"

These statements indicate an orientation for the house that contradicts the orientation of all the other saltbox houses portrayed on Wiki.

Front doors are at the front, and the front is always the taller symmetrical face.

This makes the lower part under the catslide the back of the house. Without knowing the internal arrangements, I would presume the kitchen, pantry, scullery etc to be usually under the lower section. Is this right?

The two asymmetrical faces of the building are normally the Sides, not the front and back!

So what has happened in this case? Is the house built on a very small block, where orientation was difficult?

Has it been faced away from the road rather than towards it, in order that the windows of the higher face (normally the front) can catch the sun?

Has it been substantially altered, and had its front door removed to the side, because a public road went through after the house was constructed?

Is that open loggia original? The abutting windows are strange. It looks as if it was opened up at a later date, because the walls appear to be internal rather than external walls, as in usual in a porch.

What is on the tall side of the house that we can't see? Is there evidence that the front door was originally where one would expect to find it?

How does the internal staircase relate to the front/side door?

All these peculiarities conflict with the fact that the building has nicely proportioned Classical details. Are there other saltbox houses like this one?

Amandajm (talk) 14:38, 6 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting, I'm not all that architecturally-inclined so, I did not notice any of these anomalies nor have I been inside the house (though I'd like to). Your can use the "Bird's Eye" from Bing to get a good idea of the exterior of the house and its surroundings [1]. From what I gather, "The original structure [not the southern addition] consisted of two large rooms on the first floor, two smaller bedrooms off to the east side [the 'low side'], a storage area behind the fireplace and a dormer-like second floor." Also, their is a shed and some fairly large trees on the "high" symmetrical-side (could've had something to do with why the front door is where it is. Though if you want more information, maybe contacting the historical society that owns the house would answer some of your more specific questions. Niagara ^{Don't give up the ship} 15:48, 6 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]