Mansard Monday ~ This fabulous Second Empire style house in Providence, Rhode Island was designed by architect Alfred Stone for General Ambrose E. Burnside and built in 1867.
This is a wonderful example of a house design that responds to its unique site. The rounded bay turns the street corner and creates and interesting approach along the curved porch to the main entrance, tucked into the corner on the left of the bay.
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).
Mansard roofs can be found with a straight slope, convex curve, or combined concave and convex curves for an S-shaped roof slope. Often, colored slate was used to create a pattern on the roof slope, as here. Too much was never enough for some Victorians!
Understanding the style of a house will help you identify which features are character-defining so you can prioritize their preservation.
Second Empire is one of 25 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 online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors. Save 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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