Dear Members: In some parts of the South, particularly Tennessee, the houses were built in stages as the early pioneers were needs increased and they had time and money to reach completion. They were cabin, at first, with one room and a fireplace and a door with an attic or second floor that was accessed with a ladder. They ate, slept and lived in this one large room and storage and food drying was upstairs. As they expanded with time. they built another second cabin right next to the first with about six to ten feet in between. This way they could build the second without construction bothering them in the first. The second was built in the same fashion, sometime much larger with an upstairs also and a front door. There was also a door to the side and perhaps to the back as well if this second cabin was large enough. In the next phase, they attached the two houses together to make one large house with a porch of sorts, in between because they built a wall in front and back and a roof and then this room was usually not heated. A breezeway of sorts. It also had a front and back door and entrances to each side house to make it one large house. This room was often called "the dog run or dog room" because the dogs slept there at night. Often, then, they closed off the doors to the front in the two main houses and went into the middle part or dog run to access outside. It functioned as a porch in that way and helped keep the two main houses warmer by closing off the direct access. But often, they left one door in place on either of the two main houses. Now what remained in the end was, one downstairs that was used as the kitchen or living area, the second larger downstairs was used as the master bedroom or guest area and as a living area with a fireplace of it's own. The two upstairs units that were the lofts or bedrooms for the children, or storage for their supplies and for drying food. It must have been very hard to keep out the bees and insects in the summer. So, we have a house with one downstairs living area that also was used as an indoor kitchen during the winter, although they usually built an outside kitchen for cooking if they had the money, separate from the main house for smoking and another for cooking. These houses were made of logs and mud was used for sealing and insulation. You can see them along the old roads and back off the highways and, is you notice, you can wee that there are actually two houses attached together. They have at least two front doors and the back usually comes off the dog run in the center. These houses were build from the late 1700s as the pioneers made their way across the country, until the early 1900s when processed wood became more available to all areas of the country. These houses are fascinating and one can know that they are very, very old and a pieces of American history that is not shared in other countries. Trees were easily available and, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. Hope you have enjoyed this bit of American from an old Sumner County member. Regina L. Markowicz Troy, Michigan researching Covington, Bloodworth, Hughes, Stith, and Griffin in Sumner County and TN.

More on Dogtrot houses with pix and a link: http://www.tngennet.org/warren/wardog.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2005 11:23 AM Subject: [TNSUMNER] A little history about those houses with two doors..... > Dear Members: > > In some parts of the South, particularly Tennessee, the houses were built in > stages as the early pioneers were needs increased and they had time and > money to reach completion. They were cabin, at first, with one room and a > fireplace and a door with an attic or second floor that was accessed with a ladder. > They ate, slept and lived in this one large room and storage and food drying > was upstairs. As they expanded with time. they built another second cabin > right next to the first with about six to ten feet in between. This way they > could build the second without construction bothering them in the first. > > The second was built in the same fashion, sometime much larger with an > upstairs also and a front door. There was also a door to the side and perhaps to > the back as well if this second cabin was large enough. > > In the next phase, they attached the two houses together to make one large > house with a porch of sorts, in between because they built a wall in front and > back and a roof and then this room was usually not heated. A breezeway of > sorts. It also had a front and back door and entrances to each side house to > make it one large house. This room was often called "the dog run or dog room" > because the dogs slept there at night. Often, then, they closed off the doors > to the front in the two main houses and went into the middle part or dog run > to access outside. It functioned as a porch in that way and helped keep the > two main houses warmer by closing off the direct access. > > But often, they left one door in place on either of the two main houses. Now > what remained in the end was, one downstairs that was used as the kitchen or > living area, the second larger downstairs was used as the master bedroom or > guest area and as a living area with a fireplace of it's own. The two upstairs > units that were the lofts or bedrooms for the children, or storage for their > supplies and for drying food. It must have been very hard to keep out the > bees and insects in the summer. > > So, we have a house with one downstairs living area that also was used as an > indoor kitchen during the winter, although they usually built an outside > kitchen for cooking if they had the money, separate from the main house for > smoking and another for cooking. > > These houses were made of logs and mud was used for sealing and insulation. > You can see them along the old roads and back off the highways and, is you > notice, you can wee that there are actually two houses attached together. They > have at least two front doors and the back usually comes off the dog run in > the center. These houses were build from the late 1700s as the pioneers made > their way across the country, until the early 1900s when processed wood became > more available to all areas of the country. > > These houses are fascinating and one can know that they are very, very old > and a pieces of American history that is not shared in other countries. Trees > were easily available and, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. > > Hope you have enjoyed this bit of American from an old Sumner County member. > > Regina L. Markowicz > Troy, Michigan > researching Covington, Bloodworth, Hughes, Stith, and Griffin in Sumner > County and TN. >