When our country's first settlers built homes in the New World, their intent wasn't to develop a new architectural style. They sought shelter from the cold using materials at hand. Yet, the small homes they constructed beginning in the 1600s on eastern Massachusetts' Cape Cod were transformed into a distinct style that's still treasured today by home owners all over the country.

Buyers who favor the iconic Cape Cod can find vintage examples far beyond New England's borders. New homes also emulate the look; many builders and architects are skilled in replicating the modest exterior with a steeply pitched roof, low eaves, weathered shingles or clapboards, and an imposing center chimney. For home owners enamored with the small-is-beautiful concept, the Cape is like a dream come true.

History Lesson: The First Cape Cods

"Capes were the original starter house,"says Jane Gitlin, an architect with Huelster Design Studio in Westport, Conn., and author of Updating Classic America: Capes (Taunton Press, 2003). English settlers wanted to duplicate the thatched cottages of their homeland, but America's abundant cedar trees led to Capes clad with shingles and clapboards that weathered gray, she says. Floors were typically pine or oak— hardwoods that were readily available in the area.

Early Capes were small, one-and-a-half story structures with a steeply slanted, wooden shingle roof. The homes usually were built facing south so sunlight could enter the small windows, which were arranged in a 12-over-12 pattern of individual panes. A small glass transom above the front door also let in natural light.

Undersized windows were an economical solution at a time when glass was imported from England and prices ran high, Gitlin says. Smaller panes, measuring 6 inches by 8 inches, offered yet another benefit: they were less likely to break when transported.

The interiors of early Capes were modest and practical, and home décor was minimal since settlers had little time or money for embellishment.

Structurally, the first floor of Capes had low ceilings to conserve heat, with a hall that served as a separate room for parents to sleep. Also on the main level: a kitchen or keeping room where the family would gather; a small borning room reserved for births, illnesses, and deaths; and a buttery for storing food. Children slept in an upstairs loft.

All of the home's occupants were kept warm by a large chimney at the center of the home, aligned with the front door. Some Capes had picket fences that prevented shifting sand from getting too close to the house, Gitlin says.

Although the home style became standard in the 17^th century, the term "Cape Cod" wasn't coined until the early 19^th century when Rev. Timothy Dwight, president of Yale University, used the term in his book Travels in New England and New York (Belknap Press, 1969), Gitlin explains.

How the Little Cape Grew

The first Capes were built to be expanded as families increased their wealth through farming or shipping and had more children, Gitlin says. Three variations existed:

• -  Half Cape. The earliest style had a door on one side, two windows on the other side, and a large front hall.
• -  Three-Quarter Cape. This version had a window on the left side and two on the right. It gained a parlor opposite the hall.
• -  Full Cape. More symmetrical, this largest version had a door in the middle and two windows on each side.
  

Although early Capes were most prevalent in New England, regional variations emerged. Rather than have its chimney stack in the center, Southern-style Capes moved it to the end of the home so heat would radiate outward, preventing rooms from becoming too warm.

The Cape's Comeback

The golden age of the Cape lasted until about 1850. As Americans became wealthier, the "poor person's" or "farmer's house" Cape lost favor to more impressive two-story Colonials and Greek Revival houses, says Nancy Hopkins, who lives on Cape Cod and runs a business, Renovation Design Consultants, with her husband restoring Capes and other historic homes.

The Cape became popular again in the 1920s when home owners sought affordability. Capitalizing on the demand, Boston architect and author Royal Barry Wills adapted and modernized the endearing style for middle-class families. Wills' architecture firm, Royal Barry Wills Associates Inc., continues today under his son Richard's leadership.

The post-World War II housing boom made the Cape even more mainstream. Homebuilder Levitt & Sons mass-manufactured small, affordable Cape-style houses in Levittown on New York's Long Island. From there, the style spread to other suburban areas.

Tips for Buying Vintage

The vintage Capes that have survived retain the prominent features from when they were built, says George Jessop, an architect in Centerville, Mass., who has remodeled many and also built new versions. Buyers interested in a period home should keep in mind that restoring or remodeling a historic Cape — or any older house, for that matter — likely will need approval from a town's historic commission.

On the Cape, north of the Mid-Cape Highway, the towns of Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Brewster, and Orleans are part of the Old King's Highway Regional Historic District. Each town, which has its own historic district, considers applications to alter a home's exterior, including the grounds. Many towns also have a demolition delay ordinance that applies to historic buildings, usually defined as more than 75 years old, says Jacqueline Etsten, principal planner for Barnstable, Mass.

"New construction and additions are permitted, but boards and commissions look for compatible design, mass, and scale," she says. "These provisions seek to protect historic buildings that are an integral part of the Cape's landscape."

Even when no official guidelines exist, buyers would be smart to hire an architect or builder who understands the style, scale, and materials, Hopkins says. In making any changes, buyers should seek to retain the "spirit" of the original home, Gitlin adds.

"Don't apply Victorian gingerbread or nail up ill-proportioned vinyl shutters," she says. "Understand that an antique house is never going to be perfectly straight, level, plumb, and true."

New Inspirations

Unlike true vintage Capes, new construction can take some liberties for modern-day comforts and aesthetic preferences. But if buyers really want a Cape aesthetic, they should pay attention to the scale, detailing, and materials of their predecessors. Sometimes, buyers can get the best of both worlds by buying an old Cape and adding on.

Michelle Linn and fiancé Frank Frederickson did just that. They're building a second story on a Cape Cod-style ranch in Barnstable to accommodate their blended family of six children. But the couple had to seek approval for their addition because the house is located in an area that falls under the historic commission's control.

Their builder, Tim Pearson of Markwood Corporation in Hyannis, Mass., is maintaining the front appearance but adding roof dormers in back to make way for more bedrooms. The rear of the home also will contain larger glass expanses.

When building new Capes, Gitlin suggests buyers should build a separate, detached garage so that it won't dwarf the Cape's small scale and so that windows can be placed on all four sides. Though the earliest Capes weathered to a natural gray, Jessop stained the clapboards on the front of the Cape and left the other three sides unpainted.

"Later, Capes were sometimes painted," he says. "But good quality paint was used first on a boat and barn. Houses weren't the most important structure."

See for Yourself

Fine examples of Cape Cod homes can be seen along the Old King's Highway, which winds for 34 miles from Sandwich to Orleans, making it the largest contiguous historic district in the country. Other places in Massachusetts to visit for real Cape sightings: Old Sturbridge Village, Plimouth Plantation, and towns such as Hingham and Concord.

Finally, you can check out the Web site of Historic New England, a regional preservation organization that offers an online list of historic homes to visit, properties for sale, and preservation advice.