The Old Spite House

In 1716, Thomas Wood, a sailmaker, built a home in Marblehead, Massachusetts which subsequently received the sobriquet of The Old Spite House. One theory has it that it was inhabited by two brothers who occupied different sections, would not speak to each other, and refused (out of spite) to sell to the other. In another explanation for the presently occupied ten-foot (3 m) wide home, which is just tall enough to block the view of two other houses on Orne Street, the builder was upset about his tiny share of his father's estate and his revenge was a house built to spite his older brothers' views. The Old Spite House is still standing and occupied.