8 Residences Constructed Solely Out of Spite

Every town likely boasts at least one architectural curiosity that locals eagerly show to tourists. Often, these are spite houses—structures erected to provoke frustration. They might obstruct a neighbor’s view, defy urban planning efforts, or challenge local regulations. Many are unusually shaped or sit on tiny plots of land. In some instances, existing homes are modified for revenge, such as the Australian homeowner who painted his house pink and added a pig snout and tail after a building permit was denied.

1. The Hollensbury Spite House // Alexandria, Virginia

This house, just 7 feet wide, was constructed in 1830 by a disgruntled neighbor aiming to prevent others from using the alley beside his property.

2. The Tyler Spite House // Frederick, Maryland

  Constructed in 1814, this mansion was hurriedly erected by a local physician aiming to stop the town from constructing a road across his land. A municipal regulation stated that a road couldn’t be built if a structure was being developed in its path, prompting Dr. Tyler to swiftly lay the foundation for this grand residence.

3. The Old Spite House // Marblehead, Massachusetts

The reason behind the unusual design of this house remains unclear, but many believe it was inhabited by two brothers. One brother, upset over the division of their inheritance, constructed his portion of the house to obstruct his sibling’s view.

4. The Skinny House // Boston, Massachusetts

A quarrel over inheritance between two brothers led to the creation of the Skinny House. One brother constructed a sizable home on their shared land, and upon returning from military service, the other brother built this narrow house to block sunlight from his sibling’s residence. The four-story structure is broader at the front and tapers toward the back.

5. The Sam Kee Building // Vancouver, Canada

After the city expanded Pender Street, it significantly reduced the land owned by the Sam Kee Company. In 1913, the company constructed a commercial building measuring less than 5 feet in width. Additional space was cleverly created using pop-out windows on the second floor that extend over the sidewalk.

6. The Cambridge Spite House // Cambridge, Massachusetts

Why do Massachusetts landowners seem so prone to spite? In 1908, Francis O'Reilly became furious when the owner of the neighboring property refused to pay a fair price for his land. In response, he constructed a house only 8 feet wide. Today, the interior designer who works there describes the building as a living showcase for her creativity.

7. Alameda Spite House // Alameda, California

This cherished local icon in Northern California was erected after the city seized a significant portion of the lot to create a street. Determined, the owner built a house anyway, measuring just 10 feet wide. Remarkably, it remains inhabited over a century later.

8. Freeport Spite House // Freeport, New York

A landowner disrupted the city’s plan for a perfectly aligned street grid by constructing a Victorian home on a triangular piece of land. From above, it’s evident that the streets in this New York town had to curve around the sizable property, ruining their intended symmetry.