Witch Windows

You’ve probably never heard of Witch Windows. This is a New England feature on older houses that is found almost exclusively in Vermont. Specifically in the northern and central regions of Vermont. The window is on the gabled end of the roof and is tilted diagonally. Dormer windows can make it harder to heat a room, so in order to have natural light in an upper room expansion they would tilt the window and install it diagonally, rather than buying a custom window.

The “witch window” name suggests that these windows keep the room safe from witches because they can’t fly into a diagonal window. This, of course, isn’t why they installed them like this, it’s just a folksy explanation that people applied to it over the years.

Why only in Vermont? No idea. Another unique part of the landscape we travel through here in VT.