Mansard Monday ~ A Complex Concave Mansard Roof in Cape May, NJ.
Built in 1881 for Douglas Gregory, a Delaware River pilot, as a family home. He paid $3500 for the land and about $4000 for the construction of the house. It sits on the former site of the Columbia Hotel, which burned in the Cape May fire of 1878. Since 1981, it has been operated as The Queen Victoria bed and breakfast inn.
The Mansard roof is the defining feature of a Second Empire style. Typically called a French roof in the U.S. during the 19th century, it was popular during a period when all things French were “en vogue” for fashionable middle- and upper-class Americans.
Second Empire buildings are essentially Italianate in style from the eave line down, but their roof gives them a different identity. The style was used for everything from small wood-framed houses like this to grand towered mansions and public buildings in brick and stone. Mansard roofs were originally clad in slate or wood shingle, sometimes in patterns like the fish scale shaped wood shingles on this roof.
Second Empire is one of 25 styles and types described and illustrated in Chapter 2 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.” Homes from more than 22 states are included.
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors, including the classic “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester. Save on cost and shipping with our multi-book combo packs!
“Restoring Your Historic House is also available in bookstores nationwide and from online retailers.
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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