ARTICLE 008
The Lantern and Oak
Stories of Home. Timeless Living.
The Journal of Melissa LaRosa Interiors
Every home has a story. This is where we come to tell them.
The Crooked Window: A Curious Piece of American Architecture
The Lantern & Oak Journal | Stories of Home. Timeless Living.
Imagine walking past an old New England farmhouse and noticing something rather peculiar.
A window installed diagonally into the side of the house.
Not crooked from age or settling, but intentionally tilted at an angle.
These unusual features are known as witch windows, and they're one of the more curious architectural details found in historic Vermont homes.
Typically installed in the gable-end walls of older farmhouses, these windows were often positioned diagonally to fit into the narrow wall space between an adjoining roofline and the eaves.
But their unusual appearance eventually inspired a bit of folklore.
According to local legend, witches couldn't fly their broomsticks through a tilted window, making these peculiar openings a supposed form of protection.
It's a charming story, although there's little historical evidence that superstition was the reason they were built.
The more practical explanation is simply clever construction.
Rather than commissioning a custom window for an awkward space, builders could turn a standard window sideways to bring additional daylight and ventilation into an upper room.
And that's what makes historic architecture so fascinating.
Behind an unusual detail, there's often a story of resourcefulness, regional tradition, and the ingenuity of craftsmen working with what they had.
The next time you find yourself admiring an old farmhouse, take a closer look at its windows.
You might discover that the most interesting architectural feature is the one that doesn't quite line up.
The Lantern & Oak
Stories of Home. Timeless Living.
