Shotgun House:
Where you'll find it:
Algiers Point, Bayou St. John/City Park, Broadmoor, Bywater, Carrollton, Central City, Faubourg Marigny, French Quarter, Garden District, Irish Channel, Lower Garden District, Mid-City, Treme, and Uptown.
What does it look like:
Usually one story, but some have a second story, set further in the back (what is often called a Camelback). Can be a "single" or a "double" shogun. Double indicates how many homes comprise the one structure, or in the instances of refurbishing a double into a single, it indicates the width of the home. Single shotguns are very narrow, while a Double shotgun is more average-width. Double shotguns often mirror each other side-by-side (except where extensive refurbishing has been done, then often owners will vary it somewhat). Most shotguns are wood and offer a cozy front porch.
The entry to the Shotgun house is on one side of the facade with adjacent windows overlooking the street. Though the Shotgun is a freestanding structure, some have no windows on the side walls as sometimes these houses are so close together that windows would be impractical for light or ventilation and would severely compromise privacy.
So why is it called "shotgun"? Some say that if you open the front door and shoot a gun straight into the house, it would exit out the back door without hitting anything! Most shotgun homes have all of the rooms off of a central hallway, however some shotgun homes the rooms are piled one on top of another, with NO hallway (yes, this means you walk through your bedroom to get to the kitchen or bathroom). In most shotguns, the living room is in the front, with a bedroom or two in the middle, then in back is the kitchen. |
