Sod houses are one of the most ancient forms of building, employed by the Vikings and even earlier civilizations, right though twentieth century America and in any number of nations and cultures.
While sod construction has a number of inherent problems (sod is heavy, hard to cut and prone to erosion) sod is also, in many ways, an ideal building material. Sod is, literally, dirt cheap and generally available. It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Sod is fire-proof, allowing families on the great plains to huddle in their soddys as prairie fires swept their farms. Sod was so ideal for building that photos taken in the latter nineteenth century, when the railroads had made wood available on the prairie, show families build barns and other outbuildings from wood while still living in their soddys. A number of sod houses still stand today, and continue to provide shelter for families.
Inspired by a sod house we saw in Nebraska on a trip across the country, we decided to build our own sod house from the sod we were taking up to put in a garden. We claim it is the only sod house in Maine, but would love to hear from any who might dispute that claim.
Anyone who would be interested in viewing our Down East soddy is welcome to e-mail us and set up a time to visit. School groups interested in visiting and learning more about sod houses and life on the Great Plains are also welcome. E-mail us for more information.
E-mail: Sod House Info
Below are photos from the sod house construction, as well as links to other sod house sites.
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On the left, the first few layers of sod, before we knew what we were getting into |
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The author, not doing much writing but moving a lot of sod.
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The half-finished raised-bed garden. This is
where all the sod is coming from. It is now the three-quarters finished garden. |
| The walls get higher and the door frame is in place. Notice L.L. Bean bag in the foreground and neighbor's lobster traps in the background. A real Maine scene (except for the sod house). |
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The men-folk confer. The upright pole is the Nelson Patented Sod House Wall Straightener. If that doesn't work, the author is holding a splitting maul. |
| The walls are finished and a ridge pole is in place to hold a tarp to protect it for the winter. No leaves on the trees, foul weather is coming. |
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The soddy with its first, and none too
attractive roof.
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| Roofing work has begun. Good thing my work on ships has trained me to not be afraid of heights. |
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Shingling commences, though I would rather be
sitting in the Adirondack chair.
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| Lisa gets in on the shingling.
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The finished sod house, just as the last leaves
are turning color.
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| Little Sod House on the Down East Prairie. Our soddy braves another winter. |
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| Sod Houses on the Web... There are a number of good web sites where you can find more information about sod houses past and present. Following are some of our favorites:
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Websteader - a clearinghouse for all things soddy and a great web site. Plainsfolk - a good article about a few specific soddys Pella Historical Village - has pictures of soddys and links to other pages. Nebraska Studies - A good article on living in a sod house. American Memory - good links to soddy pictures |
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