Cape Cod houses: What makes a Cape a Cape?

The Cape Cod house is one of the most popular home styles in New England. It’s spread far and wide. But what makes a Cape a Cape?

First off, it’s one-and-a-half stories. That’s a defining feature, says Gary Sachau, an architectural historian retired from the National Park Service.

He’s walking along a stretch of busy Route 6A in Yarmouth Port, which boasts plenty of historic homes in the Cape Cod style.

“The main level was occupied, usable space, as was the second half-story, where you have the gable roof,” Sachau says.

The slope of the gable roof always faces front to back.

A typical antique Cape has a center chimney, to warm all the rooms from the middle.

In a full Cape, the main door sits front and center, with two windows placed symmetrically on either side. A smaller version,