Blockhouse on Coupeville and Ebey's Landing, Whidbey Island

Late July I rode out again to Whidbey Island specifically to study the block houses there.  I have posted a bit previously, here more...  Although many had existed on Whidbey Island around the 1850's there are only a few that can be visited.  I visited one at Coupeville and another at a cemetary near Ebey's landing.  They are unique in that they are homesteads but have a second flooe which sticks out on all sides by 18 to 24 inches.  The second floor was for protection against Indian attacks.  There were no known attacks on these houses.  There were arrowslits in the walls for guns or bow and arrows.  Interestingly all homesteads aare about the same size - about 14 feet wide and 20 feet long.  The photo below is part of Jacob Ebey's Blockhouse.  Photo # 98:

Ebey's Landing

Went to Ebey's Landing on Whidbey Island late May.  Ebey's landing is a National Historic Reserve, preserving the land as it were when Whidbey's first caucasian settlers lived on the land.  Lots of farmland and barns.  I was intrigued by the block houses that the settlers developed to protect themselves from attacks on the families.  The houses were essentially two stories and the second story cantelevered out about 2 feet from the first floor.  I have no good pictures (what else is new) of the house, I only have a picture of a detail that I liked, which shows the timber used.  I'll have to go back and study this house more carefully.  I'm interested in the scale of the house the footprint is only about 14' x 20' and this is where the whole family lived.  It's about the same size as a walk-in-closet that I succumbed to design for a mcmansion I regrettably designed a couple of years ago.  Thumbs up to all the people in the new tiny house movement!  Here's photo 67, 68 and 69: