During the pioneer era, when the
great American continent was just beginning to be colonized by the
European people, house construction was a family and community activity. Even today in some conservative communities such as the Amish community, the spirit of volunteerism has not died. Families of the community will gather, as if in a communal picnic. The women and children will help in food preparation while the men work together in erecting the structure of the house. The most common materials used then were wood and stones. Usually, the house frames will first be prefabricated before they will be erected. House construction during the pioneer era was very simple. It did not require architects or
interior designers to construct houses. Most houses then were actually log cabins with or without interior dividers. The comfort room was commonly separated from the house. There was no toilet bowl. A privy or hole in the ground was the most common sanitary repository of human waste.
The houses were usually grouped into communities surrounded by walls. These walls served as protection from Indian attacks. These walled communities were like self-contained and self-sustaining camps, complete with agricultural plots, military barracks, chapel, and community square.
