A spite house is a building constructed or modified to irritate neighbors or other parties. Spite houses often serve as obstructions, blocking out light or access to neighboring buildings, or as flamboyant symbols of defiance.
In 1874 two brothers in Boston got into a dispute. Each had inherited land from their deceased father. While the second brother was away in the military, the first brother built a large home, leaving the other only a shred of property that the first brother felt certain was too tiny to build on. When the soldier returned, he found his inheritance depleted and built a wooden house to spite his brother by blocking the sunlight and ruining his view. It still stands till this day and is know across Boston as The Skinny House
