How much wood was needed to last a winter in Maine in the 1700s?

Answer 1

How much timber was needed in 1700s Maine during winter would depend on:

• size of cabin or house; how many rooms
• type of cabin or house construction - example: brick exterior versus logs
• what materials were used to plug holes and drafts or across doorways - mud and dry grass, straw/ dried hay, rags / cloth strips, newspaper pieces, hides, furs, etc.
• whether the family had children or elderly, who often feel the cold faster
• who could cut and haul logs, then split the logs - widows would have a harder time

My sister lived in the PA mountains and used a wood stove to heat 2 large basement rooms of a 3-bedroom 1-story house ( 7 rooms total in the house). I believe she went through 4 to 6 cords of cut timber (wood) each winter. She kept her gas heat set low and relied on the wood stove's heat to rise to the first floor.

Single floor or 1 and 1/2 story cabins in the 1700s to mid 1800s had either one or a double fireplace on the first floor for heating and cooking.