Shotgun style

Shotgun style houses are narrow, single row of rooms. They are said to be called shotgun houses for a few reasons. The main reason for calling this style a shotgun house is because a person could stand at the front of the house and fire a gun and it would exit cleanly out of the back of the house. Another strong speculation is because the earlier style of a shotgun house was built out of boxes that carried shotgun ammunition.

Features

 * The entire house is no wider than 12 feet (3.5 meters)
 * Rooms are arranged in a single row, without hallways
 * The living room is at the front, with bedrooms and kitchen behind
 * The house has two doors, one at the front and one at the rear
 * A long pitched roof provides natural ventilation
 * The house may rest on stilts to prevent flood damage

History
The shotgun style house was popularized in New Orleans in the early to mid 1830s. The houses were built throughout hot urban areas in the South because of the styles exceptional airflow. Also, with such a narrow size, several of these houses would fit onto smaller lots. Currently, in the south, it is estimated that 10% or more of the houses are in the shotgun style of architecture.

The first shotgun house was announced for rent in the Atlanta Journal Constitution costing $12 a month. In 1929, the state of Tennessee passed a law that would only allow shotgun houses to be rented to only very poor class tenants. The shotgun house never reached popularity with the upper class but were used as other means in the 20th century. Shotgun houses, initially built as rental properties, were usually located near railroad hubs to provide housing for railroad workers. The idea of shotgun houses as rental places ran out of popularity in the late 20th century. Presently, 85% of the houses (most shotgun) in New Orleans' lower ninth ward are now owner-occupied.

Architects
Notable architects associated with this style include: