Potato house

A potato house is a structure built for the storage of harvested sweet potatoes. Such buildings were common in Sussex County, Delaware, and adjoining areas of Delaware, Maine, and Maryland in the early 20th century, when sweet potato production was at its local peak.

Potato houses were typically two-story wood frame structures, of tall and narrow proportions, heated in winter with a coal or wood stove. Potatoes were stored from October through February, requiring a constant temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The potato houses were constructed to allow the free circulation of air among the stored crop, sometimes employing gaps between the bins and the exterior walls or at the floor level. The tall, narrow proportions of the houses encouraged circulation. Windows were typically provided at the top of the house to allow ventilation if temperatures rose too high. Multiple layers of siding, the use of red rosin paper for sealing against drafts, and sometimes the use of sawdust as insulation were other measures to safeguard the crop.

Rider Potato House

Rider Potato House is a historic potato house located near Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware. It one of the last surviving examples of its building type. It was built about 1920, and is a 1 1/2-story, gable fronted, balloon frame structure on a brick foundation. It measures 18 feet, 5 inches, by 24 feet 5 inches. It retains a number of important elements characteristic of potato house including: shingled exterior, the quality of second floor paneled interior, ventilation features, and original sliding doors.

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

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