What is an ‘Ell’?
May 23rd 2008IlanaHistorical & Writing
What did a nineteenth century family do when they needed more space? Wanted to attach the house to the barn? Or wanted to keep the kitchen separate from the more formal dining room and parlor?
They built an ell. It means exactly what it sounds like – the addition was built at a right angle to the original house forming an ‘L’. They didn’t always stop with just one addition – if the family grew, then so did the house.
During my trip to Historic Deerfield, MA earlier this spring, I took these photos of two houses with ells. I think it gives a rather rambling look to the house and makes me wonder why each addition always seems smaller….
As a writer, I like to think about the history behind why the additions were built and the conflicts it might have caused. Were the children separated from visiting adults? Were people sneaking around in secret passageways placed between the two structures? Did a new bride find herself under the thumb of her mother-in-law? Was a crazy old relative housed in the new attic?
What does the building of an ell make you think of?
Oh! I love
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How did you get them? I’ve been wanting some emoticons, but have no idea how to do it.
Now to answer your
… I’m thinking I wish I had an ell to escape to when my boys won’t stop bickering. Your pictures are great. I wonder why they painted the one ell blue? 
Okay, it may not be what you were looking for, but my thoughts run to crossword puzzles when you talk about building ells. Why? I learned what the word ell means doing crossword puzzles as a kid, and it’s most definitely stuck with me!
And yeah, I want an ell too, all to myself, and I don’t even have kids to escape from. I just want more room for books.
Robin - Its a wp plugin called ‘grins’. And the blue part is the main house (I took that photo from the back). The tour guide told us that the original owner was a lawyer and wanted to make it easy for people to find his house, so he painted his house a bright blue!
Jenifer - Room for more books is a big concern for me too. I’ve never heard the ‘ell’ term applied to crossword puzzles (but I’m awful at them, so maybe I’ve just missed it). Maybe you’ll inherit a house from a mysterious relative and in your ‘ell’ will be a valuable original manuscript amongst stacks of old books….
I love these ell houses. I think the cool thing about a house with one or more ells is that you just know there are plenty of stories to go with the additional construction: the whys more than the hows. Terrie