Skinny houses and spite houses profiled
Remember the “Spite House”? It was profiled on “Small Spaces, Big Style” or whatever that show was called, the one on HGTV?
There was another story on it, this time in the New York Times.
The house, 7 feet wide, about 25 feet deep and a whopping 325 square feet in two stories, is a tiny landmark on Queen Street in the Old Town district in Alexandria, Va., just across the Potomac from Washington. Structurally, it’s more of an enclosed alley than a house — the brick walls of older houses on either side form the painted brick walls in the living room. It’s called the Spite House by some because John Hollensbury, the owner of one of the adjacent houses, built it in 1830 to keep horse-drawn wagons and loiterers out of his alley. Indeed, the brick walls of the living room have gouges from wagon-wheel hubs.
It is truly an amazing property - even more so because at times, up to three people live there. One, a teenager! It’s a fun story including why the property is called the “Spite House”.
We have our own “spite house” - ours is called the “Skinny House”. It’s on Hull Street, in the North End.
Zillow ran a story on it, last year.
This house still exists and is part of our Famous Home series and Boston.com’s “Must Sees Around Town. Located in Boston’s North End, the home is only 10 feet wide, forcing the owners to place the front door in the side alley. The Skinny House is now surrounded by much bigger buildings, turning the tables on the Skinny House’s alleged existence to block their neighbors’ views.
Fun.
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