England's notoriously stormy weather. Over the next several generations emerged a 1- to  1  1 ⁄ 2 -story house with wooden  shutters  and  clapboard  or  shingle  exterior. Other exterior design features include a steep roof with a small overhang, ...."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Cod_(house) The same settlers that migrated to New England were also the