This Week’s Historic House Puzzle! New Orleans Gingerbread Shotgun House.
Click here to go to the free online puzzle: https://yourhistorichouse.com/new-orleans-gingerbread-shotgun-house-puzzle/
Elaborate wood trim elements are often a significant feature on Victorian era houses, giving them much of their character. Steam-powered mills developed during the period allowed for efficient and affordable production of fancy trim giving middle-class homeowners access to a level of ornamental detail previously only available to the wealthy. Even modest houses could be ornamented with a profusion of “gingerbread” trim, like this wonderful shotgun house in New Orleans.
Most of this trim was made from old-growth wood, which is dense and naturally rot-resistant. Even in cases where it has experienced long periods of neglect, this trim is often in remarkably good condition because of the quality of the wood it is made from. When deterioration does happen, it should be repaired and/or replaced with new work of the same quality in materials and workmanship.
Chapter 13 of Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners discusses the importance of these elements to the historic character of a house and approaches to preserving or restoring them.
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/.
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