Canal house

Canal houses usually had a basement and a loft and attic where trade goods could be stored.

A special beam or pulley installation would be located in the attic to hoist up valuable goods, like spices, cotton, or heavier stuff like cocoa.

In the second half of the 17th century, there would sometimes be built a rear extension of the building and linked by a passage to the front house.

It could be used for many purposes, and during World War II Anne Frank and her family were using the back house as a hiding place.

Because of the danger of flooding in the early 18th century the front door is sometimes higher up and only accessible via stairs.