Anguilla's Old Houses

Wattle and Daub

Long before any tourists discovered the beauty of Anguilla, folks were living and surviving in a place not always hospitable to its inhabitants. They used natural materials at first to craft small dwellings with a process called "Wattle and Daub" and then with the help of materials imported from other islands crafted fine wood structures that were able to withstand the often harsh weather of Anguilla. Sadly most of these tiny momuments to a group of determined survivors are abandoned and in ruin.

These delightful storybook homes dot Anguilla like tiny treasures of days gone by. They appear in out of the way places often behind newer homes or buried in vines and bush off the beaten path. Most are two room stuctures with a door to each section. Often the sections are divided inside by a wall with an open air ceiling area to allow circulation throughout. These areas are sometimes decorated with lattice or fretwork. The little homes were built on low foundations made of natural Anguilla stone and where possible a cellar was built for storage. The cistern was a seperate building constructed of cement covered stone with drains extending from the roof of the house to fill them.
Wattle and Daub
Wattle in the Anguillian home was fashioned from local bush such as White Cedar and Maidenberry both of which create a long straight truck. The cut sticks were woven into a flat pattern that created a wall.
Daub is a coral lime plaster substance mixed with sand and water, daubed on the wattle then smoothed flat for a water proof finish. This structure could withstand both hurricanes and the harsh Caribbean sun.

Timber Houses
The timber houses were constructed using imported lumber and boat building tools. The houses featured impressive fretwork and gingerbread trim. At first these homes were built entirely of wood but later folks changed to stone with cement covering and finally cement block and a poured cement roof.

Deep Waters house over 100 years.	East of Island Harbour, wood with tin roof.	Stone oven behind house.
Cement over stone, East End	Cement over stone detail.	Wooden house with cement addition, East End
Shingles with tin roof, East End.	Cement over stone with tin roof, East End.	Wood shingle with stone foundation, East End.
Shingle with tin roof, East End.	Cement over stone with tin roof, Little Dix.