Jeff Gottlieb
Naturalist, Educator, Craftsman
Building Traditional Shelter Replicas:
Wigwams & Longhouses
Have an authentically constructed primitive dwelling built at your educational facility, business or home! These full sized structures work wonders for bringing the past to life. My shelters are made from natural materials collected by hand, and authentic to the native flora if at all possible. I will consult with you before building to ensure that your replica structure is situated on the best spot to portray daily life of inhabitants in the past, be attractive to viewers in the present, and be easy to maintain for best care and longevity of the structure.
Details:
Wigwams can be made in a range of sizes from small models of 6 feet in diameter to large ovals up to 14 feet in length. They can be sheathed in tulip poplar bark, thatched with Phragmites reeds or other tall vegetation such as cattail, or both bark and thatch, which provides the best protection from the elements.
Longhouses are covered in the same materials. The size range is from 12' x 16' to 18' x 30'. Some were made longer than this but this is my limit.
Costs:
A wigwam 10 feet in diameter (a commonly chosen size) costs $3500. Prices go up to $5,000 depending on size, materials and level of difficulty such as season and availability of materials nearby.
Longhouses begin at $5,000 and go up to $12,000. If you provide some materials and skilled helpers the price may drop considerably.
They are eye-catching, and deepen understanding of daily life for Native people in Eastern North America before European influence on architecture.