Northwest Coastal Longhouse – An Ocean View
Anyone who has ever dreamed of living in a cedarwood closet and having an ocean view would have been right at home in a Northwest Coastal Longhouse. Longhouses lined the Pacific Ocean coastline, and took advantage of the abundant cedar wood in the area. Longhouses were (aptly named) long, to accommodate lots of families. Some of the larger ones could hold over 100 people, all part of the same extended family. The longhouse had one door, usually facing the ocean, which opened into a center aisle that extended the whole length of the longhouse. The longhouse had individual family sections along both sides of the aisle, separated by wooden storage units. The standout feature of the longhouse, and what separates it from its eastern counterpart, is the unique artwork. Totem poles, crests that feature a revered animal, and murals helped identify the house and the family that lived there.