Mansard Monday ~ A spectacular tower on a Second Empire style house in Kennebunk, Maine.
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.
Mansard roofs come in several forms, including concave and convex. This fabulous tower roof combines both, with a convex lower portion and concave upper portion – which retain their original decorative slate patterning.
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 directly from the author in our shop, YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
The classic volume on identifying historic house styles, “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester, is available in our shop along with select restoration and preservation titles by other authors.
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