Did Pilgrims Have Windows?

For this fun Friday I thought we’d go over a little bit of the history of windows in America. Did the pilgrims have windows? How did they make these windows? It’s more fascinating than one might think! Keep reading the article to learn more. 

Who Were The Pilgrims?

Pilgrims were the English settlers who traveled to America on the Mayflower and established the Plymouth Colony in Plymouth, Massachusetts. 

How Did The Pilgrims Make Houses?

To make the walls of the house, the colonists built a framework of small sticks called wattle within the house frame. They took clay, earth, and grasses and mixed them together with water to make a mortar called daub. Daub was pushed into the wattle until it filled the wall and made a smooth surface on the inside.

Did Pilgrims Have Windows?

In fact, the pilgrims did have windows, but they were not made of glass like they are made in modern times. They also didn’t have the luxury of having more than 1 window. On most occasions they were lucky to get 1 window at all. 

Pioneer Windows Were Made Of . . . 

Most pioneers started out with greased paper windows because they weren’t sure how long they might be in that particular house. The window had to be covered so the insects and wild animals couldn’t get in, but it also needed to let the light in.  Whatever the window cover was, it had to be super cheap hence why they used greased paper. 

Why Not Glass?

 Pilgrims didn’t put glass in their windows until they were sure they were going to stay a good long while, as glass was expensive.  It was an investment in longevity.  A house with glass windows represented people who were there for the long haul. 

Windows Next To Doors

Pilgrims usually had their windows and doors close to each other as it cut down on the extensive labor it took to make the holes for the structures. Doors were often hung with leather hinges unless pioneers brought hardware with them. Sometimes, area blacksmiths could forge door hinges, but that was rare. 

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed learning about pilgrims and what they used for windows back in the 1800’s. If you found this article interesting, please leave us a comment below. If you are in need of your own new windows you can reach out to us today for your free quote!