Sod House

You're driving how many hours to go see a what?

Telling people that you're going to a sod house will likely result in their bewilderment. I find it fascinating and first came upon the sod house museum a number of years ago as I was driving the smaller roads in this area. I saw a sign for the sod house museum and couldn't resist. A few weeks ago, I decided to return for another visit.

So, what is a sod house? It's sort of a dirt igloo only bigger. A sod plow was used to split the grass in the fields into long rows. A shovel then sectioned the rows into 18" dirt blocks. These blocks were used to build the walls of the 'soddy' (which is the slang term for the house). Trees on the land were sourced to form the rafters that lay across the top of the structure. More sod blocks were laid on top of the rafters like shingles. The roof on this soddy may have been about a foot thick.

Alkali clay found nearby was the ingredient in a pasty compound used to finish the interior walls. It was essentially a home-made plaster. A thin cloth was used as the finished ceiling. Newspaper was initially used as wallpaper.

This soddy was unusual in that it had two rooms and, incredibly, it's over 120 years old. (It's only been safely protected in this museum shell since 1967.) Oklahoma gets some rough weather and a soddy house was lucky to last a few years. Homesteaders essentially relied on dirt as protection. That wasn't the only hardship. Unlike a real house, residents essentially shared their space with the animal kingdom. Rodents lived in the walls. Snakes slithered in the ceiling. They were good neighbors in the big picture, though, because bugs were an ever present problem. It puts modern-day hardships in perspective, doesn't it?

Why didn't folks just build a real house? Poverty and lack of resources. Homesteaders barely had enough money for their farm tools. Proper lumber was not readily available and it was expensive so the few trees on a property were a luxury to obtain the rafters.

Personally, I truly think this simple museum is one of the most historic places in the United States. This sod house is National Park Service or Smithsonian-worthy both culturally and architecturally. It's no less important than a Native American ruin or Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Not only is this soddy over 120 years old, which is remarkable in itself, but it's the last one in Oklahoma built by a homesteader. It's also an original. It hasn't been rebuilt -- aside from some newer sod in the late 1960s -- and it's not a modern-day replica. Sod houses once numbered in the thousands across the plains and into Canada. Few stand now and this one is a window into a time that, frankly, probably very of us know existed.

Oklahoma seems to take this humble museum for granted and it hangs on by a thread. Unless politicians, historians, and residents take this place up as an important cause, this crucial link the the past might fade away in time like the thousands of other sod houses. Are you planning next summer's trip to jet off to the architectural wonders of Europe or some other far-flung place? Instead, you might consider loading up the car and settle in for the long drive to Aline, Oklahoma.

The Sod House Museum is administered by The Oklahoma Historical Society. Due to funding, the posted hours may not be accurate, best to call before going. The house has been enclosed in a Museum, to prevent further deterioration from weather. The house is 2 room with plastered walls, glass windows, and wood floor, none of those is typical of sod houses. The owner took part in the run of 1893 and built the house in 1894. Renee Trindle, the director is a history buff and really enjoys her job. She will tell you as much as you want to know. There is a museum of their possessions, farm equipment, and period items.