There were heating elements—fireplaces, stoves—that were very hot. Near them you would be hot, far from them you would be cold. There was little insulation and homes were drafty. On the other hand, in cold places homes might be built with very thick walls and roofs, or dug into the ground.

Houses in the 1800s were significantly colder than modern homes, with internal temperatures often fluctuating between 40°F and 60°F (4°C to 15°C) during winter. Heating was entirely localized, provided by open fireplaces or wood/coal-burning stoves in individual rooms. Because of this, a house was never a uniform temperature; you could be sweltering near the hearth while seeing your breath in a corner of the same room. Bedchambers were often bitterly cold, requiring heavy quilts and copper bed-warmers filled with hot coals. Families wore multiple layers of wool indoors, and "heavy fabrics" for curtains were used not just for decor but as essential insulation against drafty single-pane windows. It wasn't until the late 1800s that "central" gravity-fed coal furnaces began to appear in wealthy homes, slowly raising the average baseline temperature toward the 65°F–70°F comfort levels we expect today.