French colonial

French colonial is a style of architecture that was brought to the United States by the French in the early 1700's. Though it got its roots in French Louisiana, the style continued to be built after the Spanish took control of the territory in 1763. These houses were made to withstand the hot, humid climates found in Southern Louisiana.

Features

 * Located in Louisiana or Mississippi
 * Timber frame with brick or "bousillage" (mud combined with moss and animal hair)
 * Thin wooden columns
 * Wide porches, called "galleries"
 * Living quarters raised above ground level
 * Wide hipped roof that extends over the porches
 * Porches used as passageway between rooms
 * No interior hallways
 * French doors (doors with many small panes of glass

History
This architectural style first appeared in the Mississippi Valley in the early 1700s when French colonists immigrated to the United States. A "Creole" style of architecture soon appeared, one that combined French, Carribean, and West Indies building traditions. Most of these building were built with heavy timber frames that ran vertically on a sill or into the earth. Most of the joints were covered with a mixture of animal hair and mud (bousillage) or lime mortar and clay. In later homes, bousillage was replaced with brick and mortar. Some homes in southern America would later replace the bousillage or limestone with stucco walls.

A raised basement supported the home while exterior stairs offered an entry into the upstairs portion of the house. The porch roof was usually part of the normal roof, which was either hipped with dormers or side-gabled.

Today, most French colonial homes can be found in Mississippi and Louisiana (most commonly found in New Orleans, LA). Little has changed in this style of house. Most French colonials are still created with large timber frames to keep with tradition. Also, French doors are the most common type of door found on a French colonial house. These homes still are accented by columns and hipped or side gabled roofs. It is still uncommon to see a French colonial house that does not have a large porch extended out of the second floor, though external stairs are becoming more difficult to find.

Architects
Notable architects associated with this style include: