The Addison Sod House

With fewer than a handful of functioning sod houses in existence, this would definitely be a National Historic Site worth visiting.  In 1911, a carpenter from Britain by the name of James Addison built a substantial sod house near Kindersley, Saskatchewan, and he built it to last.  The key was a permanent, quality roof to protect from the elements.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=10265

This documentary by Steve Wolfson, made in 2013, features Addison’s daughter, Edith Gardiner.  At the time, Edith (who grew up in the house), still lived in and maintained this beautiful structure.

6 comments

  1. Good documentary! Thanks for sharing. My grandparents started life in a sod house which was still standing in the 70’s. They were dry inside during a rain storm but a couple days later it would drip through to the inside..

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    1. Thanks for looking. Yes, my grandfather, too, had a sod house. There is a family picture with him and his hired man standing in front (though I haven’t been able to find it). I guess he cheated, though, and went back home to Minnesota for the winters. I’d also heard stories of how it rained inside for days!

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    1. Oh, yes, it is open to the public in the summer, I’m sure. I haven’t actually been there myself. Another thing for the bucket list!

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  2. Not too sure if it’s open regular hours, or by appointment. I think best might be to check with tourism at kindersley when summer comes.

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