Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Pikes, Muskets and Flouncy Shirts => Topic started by: NickNascati on 10 May 2020, 03:26:40 AM
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All,
Okay, so I’ve gotten into KPW, ordered a fair force of figures from Brigade Games. Now onto terrain while I wait. What sort of houses do I want for 17th century New England? Log cabins still, are something better? Google searches are showing fairly substantial structures.
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Nick, colonial New England isn't my strongest subject. There's a Facebook group Wargaming King Phillip's War where you might get a batter informed response.
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=wargaming%20king%20philip%27s%20war&epa=SERP_TAB
I think you should go easy on the log cabins. I've read that notched-log construction was introduced to North America in the 1640s by Finns who settled in the New Sweden colony on the Delaware River, and that it took a while to catch on. Wiki sez:
"In New England, 17th-century colonial houses were built primarily from wood, following styles found in the southeastern counties of England. Saltbox style homes and Cape Cod style homes were some of the simplest of homes constructed in the New England colonies. The Saltbox homes known for their steep roof among the back the house made for easy construction among colonists.The Cape Cod style homes were a common home in the early 17th of New England colonists, these homes featured a simple, rectangular shape commonly used by colonists."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_colonial_architecture
The earliest buildings were built from hewn timbers, and water powered sawmills were built as early as the 1630s to cut boards and beams for frame construction:
http://www.ledyardsawmill.org/history/early-sawmills-in-new-england
Acheson Creations has some timber buildings in their 28mm American Frontier line that would do:
https://achesoncreations.com/index.php/products/american-frontier/28mm-american-frontie
Some of Acheson's rural medieval buildings might also work. I'd avoid the half-timbered ones:
https://achesoncreations.com/index.php/products/medieval/25mm-medieval
Vatican Enterprises sells Hudson and Allen buildings in the US. Some of their medieval models might do:
http://www.wargamescenics.com/products.html
New England Indians seemed to build longhouses in their bigger towns. I own the Hudson and Allen longhouses, and the spaced log stockade pieces from Acheson to fortify the town. The Acheson longhouses also look good.
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Irv,
Thanks for the links. I’m cheap when it comes to terrain, I’ll likely scratch build.
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Something like Jamestown style - daub & wattle with thatched roof. I would suggest Hudson& Allen. A joy to paint, and easily available. Their Medieval Village Set has several good buildings that would be perfect. http://www.wargamescenics.com/
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The nearly 100% reproduction of English rural architecture with wattle and daub and thatch did not last very long in America. The styles resulted from the lack of wood available to commoners in England. In the America's, however, the problem was too much wood. The colonists fast switched to clapboard and shakes as siding and shakes for roofs. Indeed, to this day, shakes are a prominent siding in New England homes.
Google: "17th century new england houses". The Google images, in particular, are a treasure trove of late 17th century homes.
Also google "17th century Long Island houses". Eastern LI was settled by New Englanders. There are number of surviving homes from the late 1600s.
Note that smallish windows (lack of glass) and the fact that they are not symmetrically distributed. They were of the casement type. Symmetric distribution of windows would come in with Georgian Architecture in the 18th century.
Note also centrally placed chimneys, to conserve heat.
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Here is an interesting link: 6 of the Oldest Houses in New England. (https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/6-oldest-houses-new-england/)
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Well here is what I ended up with. Foam core shell, covered with paper salt box from Wargames vault.
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Yep, those look good.