Re: shutters on 17th and 18th century houses. I'm working on an 1806
vernacular house on Long Island and it had, judging from photographs, single
board and batten shutters that covered the entire window on the side facade.
There were no shuuters on the front. The side facade is more exposed to the
wind and this could have been an environmental decision, but it could also
have been esthetic, with shutters considered inappropriate for the front of
the house.
Mary Dierickx, NYC