The Port Gamble Gingerbread House is inspired by the Folk Traditional I-House. Typically rectilinear, two rooms wide, and one room deep, and open gables on each side. The facade of an I-House tends to be symmetrical, with a tall, shallow silhouette that helps to define the I-House. The I-House was common in colder parts of the country where more interior space was needed during the winter months.

The I-house presented the perfect opportunity for architectural embellishment! Gothic arches, Italianate brackets, and country-style Eastlake and Queen Anne millwork all left their marks on the long cornices and gable ends. The flat symmetrical front was the perfect place for another design element, another gable! Other areas of elaboration in the I-House included the addition of a rearward extension.

This gingerbread house template includes the main house and rearward extension. There are three possible building versions of this house. Version 1 is based on the style of the real life version of the house with a rearward extension. Version 2 places the rearward extension on the side, making a very wide building. Version 3 creates two separate self-standing structures.

Jeanne Waggoner