The farmhouse in which Henry and Phoebe live has seen better days. Inside and out, the place is in an advanced stage of decay. Part log, part frame, the exterior of the house is a mixture of the old and even older.

The log part was built by Henry's grandfather and formed the old man's home. The frame part was built by Henry when he was twenty-one and just married. Though newer than the log portion of the house, it is also in a state of decay, with its damp old slabs, beaten by time and rain, letting in the wind.

The interior of the house is not much better. Like the exterior, it is “old and mildewy and reminiscent of a previous day.” Much of the furniture is made out of old cherry wood, such as the old-fashioned heavy bed and the sturdy but faded bureau which gives off a musty odor.

The rag carpet underneath all this furniture is a fading old lead-and-pink-colored affair handmade by Phoebe. As one might expect given the general state of decay and dilapidation about the house, the loom on which she made the rug is now old and creaky and stands there like a bony, dusty skeleton.