Mansard Monday ~ Second Empire Double-House. 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 style was all the rage in the United States during the years following the Civil War.
Double-houses often look like a single large house. These side-by-side houses with a shared party wall and mirror image plans have a variety of regional names – double-house, duplex, twin, and other names. They are most often symmetrical in design but occasionally have variations from one side to the other. Although sharing a wall and appearing as a single building, they typically are on separate lots and owned by two parties.
Understanding the style of a house will help you understand which features are character-defining so you can prioritize their preservation.
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.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our shop, YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors. Save on cost and shipping with our multi-book combo packs!
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