Here, standing tall in yesterday’s bitter cold brilliance, is a local landmark known as – you guessed it – “The Red House.”
It has two significant winter-related characteristics that remind us of earlier New England structures. First, in days of yore when good paint was relatively scarce and expensive, frugal farmers here reportedly made their own paint by digging red iron oxide from the ground and mixing it with skimmed milk and lime. The resulting rusty-red color resisted snow and sleet longer than commercial paint and perked up drab winter days.
Second, the houses were interconnected (except for the “out” houses) with barns and other functional spaces to minimize outdoor trips in “wicked-hard weath-ah.” (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on January 26, 2021.)