Mansard Monday from my recent Road Trip ~ Lovely c. 1870 Second Empire house in Lexington, Kentucky, designed by local architect Cincinnatus Shryock for Major William W. and Hulda Dowden. Sporting a mansard roof with polychrome slate, it was embellished with quatrefoil windows, vermiculated hood moulds, and cresting. A key promoter of the Greek Revival style in the region, Shryock was best known for his public buildings in Lexington, including the Romanesque post office, the opera house and ecclesiastical projects like the First Presbyterian Church.
The defining feature of a Second Empire style building is the Mansard roof, named for 17th-century French Baroque architect François Mansart. Typically called a French roof in the U.S. during the mid-19th century, when all things French were “en vogue” for fashionable Americans. It is an urban legend that Mansard roofs were built to avoid being taxed for another story of living space.
Second Empire buildings are essentially Italianate in style from the eave line down, but the roof gives them a different identity. In this instance, the tower with its shallow-pitched hipped roof is Italianate. It is more common to find an Italianate house with a Second Empire tower than this variation.
Second Empire and Italianate styles are two of 25 styles illustrated and described 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 at 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!
“Restoring Your Historic House is also available in bookstores nationwide and from online retailers.
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
#antiquehome #antiquehomes #traditionalarchitecture #historicalhomes #historicalhouse #historic #oldhousecharm #oldhome #oldhouse #preservation #preserveourhistory #houseandgarden #homerestoration #houserestoration #vintagehome #architecturelover #restoringyourhistorichouse #yourhistorichome #restoration #houserehab #historicpreservation #secondempire #mansardroof