The Bizarre Story Behind This Common Home Amenity In Vermont Will Astound You
Not many things are located close together in Vermont, so needless to say we spent a lot of time in the car as a kid. My brothers and sisters and I played all sorts of car games, but our favorite by far was Punch Buggy. The object of the game is to keep your eyes peeled and try to find a Volkswagon Beetle on the road, and the first person to spot the VW Bug punches another person in the arm and yells “Punch Buggy!” Well, while researching this article my own kids invented a game similar to Punch Buggy, thankfully without the punches. The new game is called Witch Window. Don’t know what a witch window is? Well, I’ll bet you do…
Witch windows are the windows you see on old Vermont farm houses that are positioned diagonally, and here’s why Vermonters began calling these tilted windows “Witch Windows.” Enjoy!
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A Witch Window is a window placed in the gable-end wall of a house and rotated approximately 45 degrees leaving it slanted diagonally.
The name "witch window" comes from an old superstition that witches can not fly through a window if it's tilted. Therefore, if you had a house with a witches window, you could live without fear that a witch could soar into the room on a broomstick at any moment.
The windows are also known as coffin windows, although it is unclear if the name stuck because this is how they removed the bodies of the deceased to avoid steep staircase mishaps, or because the window itself has a coffin-like shape.
A few other names for these quirky windows are Vermont Windows, Sideways Windows or Lazy Windows for their orientation, but Witch Window is by far the most common term used today. Pictured is a fine example of a witch window in Craftsbury.
This technique of adding a window at this orientation allows a builder to fit a standard full-sized window into the long, narrow wall space between two adjacent rooflines, not to mention avoiding spending extra time and money buying a custom sized window frame.
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When an addition or wing is added to a house there may be very little wall space available in the gable end to install a window. Adding dormers can be problematic since they could disturb the roof design and structure.
Dormer windows are not often used in older Vermont architecture as they can unfortunately leave a room very cold. These lovely and classic dormers and mansard slate roof (c 1885) are located at 94-106 Maple Street in Burlington, and are part of the Battery Street Historic District in Burlington.
On this house, the clapboards are hung at an angle to match the window. This will make it easier for the builders to cut wood as well as weatherproof the area, both of which make the construction easier and more cost effective.
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Since the end space is sometimes the only option for a window in the upper floor, a solution had to be created. Vermonters, ever so resourceful, found a way to meet their needs.
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Witch windows are found almost exclusively in Vermont, and most often in 19th century farmhouses. They are more commonly spotted in the central and northern parts of VT.
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An alternative explanation for these quirky windows is that they are placed diagonally so the hot air which rises during the summer will have a place to escape. This is unlikely the reason, as we would see many more witch windows placed in other areas of the house. Besides, summer in Vermont isn’t THAT hot!
Were witches flying into homes on broomsticks such a nuisance that these windows were specially designed to keep them out? If you knew these were called Witch Windows, did you know why? Or did this provide some insight into these perplexing diagonal mysteries? Let us know!
