The hall house is one of the oldest farmhouse types, in which the living area and the working area lie under one continuous roof. It forms the basis of many later farmhouse forms.
Characteristics
Its hallmark is a tall, wide central aisle, the “hall” or threshing floor, with lower side aisles on either side. The structure rests on a series of tie-beam frames: timber frames in which a cross beam holds the posts together. The living quarters usually sat at the front, while the threshing floor or byre and the hay storage sat at the back.
Because people, livestock and harvest came together under one roof, the hall house was economical and could be warmed by the heat of the animals. The wide central aisle gave room to drive a cart inside and unload.
Applications
The hall house is found mainly in the east and north of the Netherlands and in northern Germany. The type is the trunk from which later farmhouse forms developed, such as the los hoes and the head-neck-trunk farmhouse. Many surviving examples are now protected monuments or used as homes, with the original frame construction often left visible.
Related terms
- Timber frame
- Tie-beam frame
- Threshing floor
- Central aisle
- Farmhouse
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