Architectural style Other, Potato house Area 400 m² | NRHP Reference # 90001702 Added to NRHP 15 November 1990 | |
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MPS Sweet Potato Houses of Sussex County MPS | ||
The Wright Potato House is a small 1-1/2 story building near Laurel, Delaware that was built to store harvested sweet potatoes. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Sweet potatoes were a dominant crop in Sussex County, Delaware, and numerous potato houses were built to store them. After a blight in the 1940s, the crop became less important and many potato houses were allowed to deteriorate or were converted to other use.
The frame building is about 20.17 feet (6.15 m) by 30.25 feet (9.22 m) in plan on a concrete and brick foundation. Windows are confined to the ends of the building, as are doors. The original "triple sheathing" has been covered by asphalt shingles. The triple sheathing system consisted of wood weatherboards over diagonal wood sheathing on wood studs with straw insulation, and an interior sheathing of horizontal beaded tongue and groove boards. A wood shingle roof has likewise been covered with asphalt shingles.
The Wright Potato House is typical of its kind, with a center aisle between potato bins on both levels. A sliding trap door provides ventilation between levels. A chimney was provided to allow the house to be heated sufficiently to avoid freezing the stored crop.