The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Friday, August 28, 2026
The Seely House in New York, a narrow three-story structure built on a 12.5-foot-wide plot, was constructed by carpenter Nathan T. Seely during the Great Depression. Using scrap materials and ingenuity, Seely built a home for his family after his construction business failed, though financial pressures eventually led him to leave.
“Whether it was by neighborly love or cunning self-reliance, Seely was now the owner of a 12.5 by 100-foot plot of land.”
“With little funds, Seely had to get creative with his construction. He used a variety of scrap materials, junk windows, a railroad tie, even a chicken coop.”
“His wife continued to live there until her death in 1984, 50 years in the Seely skinny house.”