(Definitely one of my favorite names for a housing style.)
Shotgun houses were a product of the
post-Civil War era, and were designed to fit as many homes into a city block as possible No more than 12’ wide, they were most popular in the Southern US, particularly New Orleans, but can be found as far as Chicago, Florida, Key West and here in Dallas.
Typically configured with no hallway, living room in the front and kitchen in the back, these homes were all about space economy. Rooms are surprisingly spacious (unhindered by parallel rooms) and high ceilings for ventilation. Some are two-storied, especially in New Orleans (see embarrassing Mardi Gras pictures), and typically elevated 3’ above ground in case of flooding.
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