Monday, December 9, 2013

History of the A-frame

I was doing a little research on the history of the A-frame because I was curious when the oddly shaped structure came into vogue and why.  The triangular shape of the house has certainly been in use for years -- immediately coming to mind for me are of course the pyramids, and tents used on the battlefield during the Civil War.  Apparently what led to the sudden popularity for this shape structure, came after World War II (through the early 70's) as a result of an increase in disposable incomes which could be spent on second homes.  It was also popular at the time to gravitate toward modern design for a second home, and due to the affordability and adaptability of this particular shape, it easily found a following. 

In 1955, an architect by the name of Andrew Geller built an A-frame in Sagaponack, NY which went on to receive international attention, and subsequently where the love for the A-frame gained even greater traction.

Here's a few pictures of Reese House:

 

 

Stunning!
 
Several of the Roaring River Chalets were built during the early 1970's; ours being circa 1973, toward the end of the A-frame craze, if you will.  We know it was factory built, trucked in and placed on the foundation which comprises the lower level and crawl space.  We presume it was built not far from Blowing Rock, and despite some preliminary research still haven't identified where. 


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