If you drive through the neighborhoods surrounding downtown Louisville —
think:
Germantown, Schnitzelburg, the Highalnds, and the Russell + California neighborhoods — you’ll find an abundant architectural feature:
.
Fun fact:
Louisville has
the largest collection of shotgun homes
of any city in America.
Let’s take a shot at the history behind them.
What’s in a name?
that someone could stand in the front doorway, fire a shotgun, and the shell would pass through the house, exiting the back door without touching anything, hence the “shotgun” name —
why someone would do that is anyone’s guess.
Characteristics
Historians have traced the
to the Caribbean and Africa. The style first came to the United States through New Orleans and spread to nearby cities.
Louisville’s shotguns were built after the Civil War, mainly between 1890 and 1915. They vary in design, but typically feature:
- Narrow width, typically 12-15-ft wide
- High ceilings — this design feature was intended to cool the homes in the pre-air conditioning era
- Three to five rooms, all connected, typically, without an interior hallway
- Ornate details: gingerbread trim, roof brackets, cornices, window casings, door surroundings, and columns