Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T. The perpendicular section is referred to as the ell.
These several buildings tend to be more pragmatic than aesthetic, but often well-stocked or well-furnished in terms of food, insulation or in other aspects dealing with daily necessities. The supply of agricultural products from its environment tends to be a factor for this, as well as stressing the need for productivity and pragmatism in the survival of the farm. The farmhouse allows the farmers, workers and often their families to reside in proximity to their workplace—namely the farm in question. This allows the farmers and workers to arrive at the workplace earlier, increasing the productivity of the farm.
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Historically there were three main types of German farmhouse, many of which still survive today. The Low German house or Niedersachsenhaus (Lower Saxony house) is found mainly on the North German Plain, but also in large parts of Holland. It is a large, unit structure with a large, sweeping roof supported by two to four rows of internal posts. The great gateway at the gable end opens into a large hall or Deele, with cattle stalls and barns to either side and living accommodation at the end. The Middle German house may also be a single unit, but access is from the side and the roof is supported by the outside walls. Later this type of mitteldeutsches Haus was expanded to two or more buildings around a rectangular farmyard, often with a second storey. The South German house is found in southern Germany and has two main variants: the Swabian or Black Forest farmstead and the Bavarian farmstead[1].
Norwegian farmhouses used timber or logs and built using Scandinavian vernacular architecture. The first examples are traced back to the 13th century
Canadian farmhouses were influenced by European settlers. In Quebec, the style varied from Gothic to Swiss. In Ontario, the farmhouses of the late 19th century was of Victorian influence. Earlier ones used clapboard and later variations had brick. Many had porches out front. A dirt road would lead to the nearest concession road. As for out west, dwellings varied from single story wooden homesteads to straw huts. Wooden houses were built later as railroads allowed wood to be shipped from the Rockies (Alberta, BC) by 1915 they could be purchased as kits from Eaton's catalog. Canadian homes often differ from their American counterparts in that the porch is enclosed.
Sometimes farmhouse may refer to a building design style, or a building's former purpose. This may occur when the farming area has been developed for other purposes, but the building itself still stands. Architectural styles vary, but very often they are of Cape Cod design. In general styles vary from region to region, but more often the style is simplistic so to serve the needs (and the budget) of the owners.