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Tiny houses are of all times. This is the smallest house in Groningen. The 18th-century mini-house in Rottum has 1 room. The Groningen countryside is known for its large and rich farms. But the less fortunate class lived a lot less spacious accommodation. This 'hoeske' in Rottum is an example of this. The cottage was presumably built as a deacon's house in the 18th century. It was built with monastic bricks from the large Juliana convent built here in the 13th century.

In 1835, "the almanac for the promotion of good taste and morals" first described the cottage. In the early 20th century, the Groninger writer Jan Boer wrote the story 'Ol Joaptje'. Ol Joaptje or also called Thai Joaptje lived in the little house at the time. For decades, this smallest house stood languishing as an 'uninhabitable dwelling'. At the beginning of the last century, the Stichting Woonhuismonument restored this cottage. The cottage was furnished by the Hoogeland Museum in Warffum in 2003. The interior resembles the situation in 1880 when it was still fired with peat and lighting came from oil lamps. The cottage is always open, so a peek inside is allowed! The church next to the cottage is also always open.