Chattel house
Encyclopedia
Chattel House is Barbadian word for a small moveable wooden house
that working class
people would occupy. The term goes back to the plantation
days when the home owners would buy houses designed to move from one property
to another. The word "Chattel" means movable property
so the name was appropriate. Chattel houses are set on blocks or a groundsill rather than being anchored into the ground. In addition, they are built entirely out of wood and assembled without nails. This allowed them to be disassembled (along with the blocks) and moved from place to place. This system was necessary historically because home "owners" typically did not own the land that their house was set on. Instead, their employer often owned the land. In case of a landlord
tenant
(or employer/employee) dispute, the house could be quickly moved to a new property.
It has been customary for persons in Barbados to build additions on to their chattel house occasionally. As such, the house may look as though different sections are at slightly different heights or in a different pattern due to each part being constructed at different stages.
Modern chattel houses tend to have a greater degree of permanence, as they are often connected to the electricity mains, and may either have a permanent septic tank or be connected to a public sewer system.
The roofs were often made of corrugated metal
made of iron.
As the dimensions changed the style of roofs also changed. These earlier styles gave way to the four-sided roof called the 'hip'. or the steep two-sided gable'. Since then many homes have also transitioned to a more 'flat top' roof with a minimal slope.
(e.g. CHAPTER 59:54 LAND TENANTS ACT and Maharaj v. Constance 1981) and other islands.
Chattel houses are still in use on several West Indian islands
, although they have become much less common in areas still affected by seasonal hurricanes (Barbados and Trinidad lie outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt).
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
that working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
people would occupy. The term goes back to the plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
days when the home owners would buy houses designed to move from one property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
to another. The word "Chattel" means movable property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
so the name was appropriate. Chattel houses are set on blocks or a groundsill rather than being anchored into the ground. In addition, they are built entirely out of wood and assembled without nails. This allowed them to be disassembled (along with the blocks) and moved from place to place. This system was necessary historically because home "owners" typically did not own the land that their house was set on. Instead, their employer often owned the land. In case of a landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
tenant
Leasehold estate
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
(or employer/employee) dispute, the house could be quickly moved to a new property.
It has been customary for persons in Barbados to build additions on to their chattel house occasionally. As such, the house may look as though different sections are at slightly different heights or in a different pattern due to each part being constructed at different stages.
Modern chattel houses tend to have a greater degree of permanence, as they are often connected to the electricity mains, and may either have a permanent septic tank or be connected to a public sewer system.
Dimensions
Timbers were in pre-cut in standard lengths of 12 to 20 feet (even numbers). The front façades tend to be symmetrical, with the door in centre flanked by a window (equally spaced), on each side. As the financial situation changed additions would be made.The roofs were often made of corrugated metal
Corrugated galvanised iron
Corrugated galvanised iron is a building material composed of sheets of hot-dip galvanised mild steel, cold-rolled to produce a linear corrugated pattern in them...
made of iron.
- A single unit was the first-step and consisted of two rooms within. By nickname, these were often called a "one-roof house".
- Next, a shed may be added onto the back. The second roof added, was often called the "shed roof". Creating what was commonly called a "one-roof house and shed".
- Further-yet another roof was often later added on to the home, transforming it into a "two-roof house and shed". In some cases a "three-roof house" might even be developed with a final shed at the back for use as a kitchen.
As the dimensions changed the style of roofs also changed. These earlier styles gave way to the four-sided roof called the 'hip'. or the steep two-sided gable'. Since then many homes have also transitioned to a more 'flat top' roof with a minimal slope.
Usage in Trinidad and Tobago
Although the term is strongly associated with Barbados, it is also used as a legal term in TrinidadTrinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
(e.g. CHAPTER 59:54 LAND TENANTS ACT and Maharaj v. Constance 1981) and other islands.
Chattel houses are still in use on several West Indian islands
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, although they have become much less common in areas still affected by seasonal hurricanes (Barbados and Trinidad lie outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt).
External links
- Pictures of Chattel Houses
- Barbados Travel Blog
- Chattel House on Highway 6, The Ministry of Community Development & Culture, Barbados