In its purest form, the word that best describes the Cape Cod is compact. The traditional versions of this home stand at a mere one-and-a-half stories, with the half snugly situated under the roof.

The Cap Cod house features a slate roof, a large screened porch, and an attached two-car garage with an art studio above it. Grey’s Creek a block away is visible from the living room’s bow window.

Saying Cape Cod house means much more than just a home on Massachusetts’s coast. Though the term does certainly have a geographic connection, it speaks more to a distinct architectural style rather ...