Addison Sod House facts for kids

The Addison Sod House is a really old house in Saskatchewan, Canada. It's special because it's made out of grass and dirt, called "sod"! This unique home is more than 100 years old. It has been named a National Historic Site of Canada. It's a great example of how early settlers built homes on the prairies.

Building a Sod House

This sod home was built by James Addison and his family. It is located about 10 miles (16 km) north of Kindersley, Saskatchewan. His property also had a barn, two sheds, and a dugout for water.

Sod houses were a popular choice for early settlers in Saskatchewan in the 1900s. They were similar to earth sheltering homes. Instead of being built into hills, a "soddie" had its base dug down about 3 feet (0.91 m) below the ground.

How Walls and Roofs Were Made

First, a layer of buffalo, oxen, or cattle chips was put down. This was then covered with a packed layer of clay. The walls were made from pieces of sod. These pieces were about 4 inches (100 mm) deep, 3 feet (0.91 m) wide, and 4 to 5 feet (1.5 m) long.

The sod pieces were laid in an overlapping pattern to build all four walls. These walls were amazing! They protected the inside from rain, wind, and extreme temperatures. They kept the house warm in winters that could reach -40 degrees and cool in summers that could reach +40 degrees.

The roofs of most sod houses were made from aspen logs. These logs were laid across the walls and then covered with more sod. However, heavy spring rains were a big problem for these roofs. The sod, dried out from winter, would often wash away. Most settlers used sod houses as a temporary home. They would live in them until they could build a stronger house made of wood or brick.

Why the Addison Sod House Lasted

This particular sod house is special because it has lasted for over a century! James Addison used some clever building tricks.

• Strong Sod: He chose sod from a dried-up, waterlogged area. This meant the grass roots were very thick and strong.
• Unique Wall Design: Usually, sod pieces are just overlapped. But Addison made a hole in the center of each sod piece. This made the sod crumble inwards as it dried, instead of outwards. This helped the walls stay strong.
• Triangular Walls: He also made each wall triangular. This meant the wall was wider at the bottom than at the top. This made them more stable.
• Better Roof: The roof was often the weakest part of a sod house. But Addison did not use sod for his roof. Instead, he built a wooden hip roof with wood shingles. This stopped water damage from rain and melting snow.
• Protected Walls: Addison also protected the outside of his sod walls. First, he grew vines on them. Later, he covered the exterior with cedar shingles. As new building materials came out, the cedar shingles were replaced. First, they used asphalt, and then vinyl siding.

James Addison and his family have lived in this house continuously since it was built. In 2017, the family received an award. It was for taking such good care of this historic property for so long.

See also

• Earth sheltering