The All-in-One Dwelling in Maine

One of the more unique features of Maine which we discovered is their tendency to connect a variety of buildings together as pictured.  This tendency comes in every shape and size and color that you can imagine.  We think it may have a been a convenience in bad winters at one time; more recent construction doesn't reflect as much of this tradition.  While these are more common in rural areas of Maine, they also exist in small to medium-sized communities.

We asked but were unable to get a good explanation from locals.  In many cases they have updated part of the unit (such as the house pictured here) and not the remaining attached units. We noted that in rural parts of Maine there is a great deal of real estate for sale and that some of these kind of units have been abandoned and have been allowed to fall into disrepair.  Most of those that are in use are painted a single color.