This lovely Second Empire style entry portico could as easily be on an Italianate style house. Below the eave line, the styles are identical. The Mansard roof form that turns an Italianate style house into a Second Empire style house comes from France and was typically called a “French roof” during the 19th century – when all things Parisian were in vogue (including the language).
This house has a pair of simple vertical board storm doors over the original double doors – an effective means to improve the efficiency of original doors without replacing them. Often, storm doors are on lift-off hinges so they can be easily removed or swapped for screen doors in summer.
Second Empire is one of 25 historic architectural styles described and illustrated in Chapter 2 of Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners. Understanding the style of a house will help you understand which features are character-defining so you can prioritize their preservation.
The 720-page award-winning and best-selling hardcover book is available in bookstores and from online retailers (it is currently 34% off on Amazon! http://ow.ly/N7ba50y4PSL).
Signed and personalized copies are available directly from the author on this site, click here: Â https://yourhistorichouse.com/shop/.
Your local bookstore can order copies from W.W. Norton.
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