Scranton House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Scranton House
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 711 Brook Rd., Goshen, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 85 acres (34 ha) |
| Built | 1850 |
| MPS | Plank Houses of Goshen New Hampshire TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001320 |
| Added to NRHP | June 21, 1985 |
The Scranton House is a very old and special house in Goshen, New Hampshire. You can find it at 711 Brook Road. It was built around 1850, which makes it over 170 years old! This house is unique because of how it was built. It's one of several "plank-frame" houses in Goshen. What makes it extra special is that it uses thinner wood planks than other similar houses. Because of its history and unique style, the Scranton House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
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What Makes the Scranton House Special?
The Scranton House is located in a quiet, rural area of northeastern Goshen. It sits on the north side of Brook Road. This house is a 1+1⁄2-story building. It is built in the Cape-style, which is a common type of house design.
House Design and Materials
The house has a pointed roof, called a gabled roof. Its outside walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards, known as clapboard. The house is about 53 feet (16 meters) wide. It has seven sections across its front. The main door was added in the 1900s. It is one section to the left of the center.
A brick chimney stands on the right side of the house. The windows are a classic style called sash windows.
Unique Plank Framing
What makes the Scranton House truly special is its "plank-frame" construction. Instead of thick wooden beams, the house uses planks of wood. These planks are placed vertically. They are about 1.25 to 1.5 inches thick. This is thinner than the 3-inch planks often found in other Goshen plank-frame houses.
To make the walls strong, wooden rods called dowels are placed horizontally. These dowels help keep the vertical planks stable.
Other Buildings on the Property
Attached to the left side of the house is a two-car garage. This was added in the 1900s. The property also has a barn. This barn is used for horses.
History of the Scranton House
The Scranton House was built around 1850. When it was first built, it looked a bit different. It had vertical board-and-batten siding. This means the boards were placed vertically with thin strips (battens) covering the gaps.
It also had a fancy entrance. This entrance was in the Greek Revival style. Both the original siding and the entrance lasted until the mid-1900s. They were later replaced with the clapboard and current door you see today.
