Early Nebraska Homes: The "Ell"

The "L", "ell" or "gabled ell" is a type of house style that was very popular for the mid- to late 1800s settlers of the Great Plains.  The "ell" gets its name from the shape of the floor plan when a home has a perpendicular wing, creating an "L".  While some homes were constructed in an "L" shape new, many times the wings were added on to an existing rectangular home, and I've found that it was often done within the first couple years of initial construction, perhaps as finances allowed or as family size necessitated. 



photo by my 3x great uncle Willie Grimm, Nebraska abt. 1908



I think it is important to recognize this style of home because of its historic practicality and efficiency.  Unfortunately these old "L" shaped homes are disappearing rapidly because of obsolescence relative to modern living.  For instance, most of these homes were constructed without electricity, plumbing, ductwork or insulation; plus the stairs were often steep and doorways / ceilings very low, especially at the 2nd floor.

Most ells utilized gable roofs because of their simple design and ease of construction.  The less cutting and nailing required, the less expensive a home was to build.



photo by my 3x great uncle Willie Grimm, Nebraska abt. 1908



One of the neat features of the "ell" is that the nook created at the intersection of the house and wing makes an ideal porch.  Porches were essential on homes at the time because of the lack of air conditioning and plumbing.  They provided a shady place to stay cool and an area to wash off before walking through the door.

I have been watching these old ells disappear from my neighborhood, and there are a few more that will be razed soon.  I think it is important to recognize the importance of these homes as they served to our community and our ancestors very adequately, teaching us that you don't need 10' ceilings, walk in closets, or individual bedrooms for every member of the family to survive comfortably.



This old "ell" in southern Lancaster County Nebraska will
probably be burned or dozed in the next few months.



Why?

Perhaps putting my thoughts into a blog will allow me to decompress electronically rather than burdening my wife with observations.  A blog is the ideal means for me to record what's happening and share thoughts / ideas about my profession, my hobbies and current events.  My blog will be a public diary of sorts, and the way I figure, if we knew our diaries were to be made public we'd be a bit more accountable, or at least we'd use more discretion.

I want to write a book.  My current project "The truth, If You Can Handle It" has been sitting idle while I dream about a different project called "Pioneer Architecture of the American Plains".  I was thinking that I could write blogs about old farmhouses and barns which could serve as chapters for a book, but that's pie-in-the-sky for now.

The old Rokeby Blacksmith Shop, razed abt 5 years ago.

One hope is that I can use photos and stories via a blog to preserve history.  Today I visited a couple farmsteads that will probably be bulldozed.  I photographed the farm buildings to document them before they're destroyed.  I've been photographing barns for over ten years, and of the hundreds of barns and rural buildings I've photographed probably 30% or more are now gone.  At that rate most of the barns I've photographed thus far will be gone in another 20 years.  Wouldn't it be cool to blog about these old buildings with photos and their stories?


Another idea is to write about my experiences as a home inspector.  The behavior of many in the real estate industry is so egregious that it merits sharing, but I've remained relatively mute for the sake of my own professional livelihood.

We'll see where this goes, but for now it's time to get the kids from school.