New Orleans is blessed with a large stock of houses built in the 19th and early 20th century. These homes run the gambit from the large mansions of the Garden District to the more modest homes in other neighborhoods. It is the tradition in New Orleans to preserve the varied architecture, and the Preservation Resource Center is an organization devoted to that cause.
Shotguns are a much loved style in New Orleans housing stock. The name is often thought to come from the placement of rooms in a straight line. In a true shotgun the doors are also in alignment; so, the story goes, one could shoot a gun into the front door and the bullet would pass through every room in the house and exit the back door without hitting anything. That definition has been expanded to include other houses without hallways and one room in width.
In keeping with New Orleans tradition, these houses are often renovated to make them livable by today's standards. Skeptical? I have a friend whose father was one of eight children raised in one-half of a shotgun double. The Preservation Resource Center periodically offers tours of renovated shotguns where you will be amazed of what can be done to live in a comfortable home that's also a historic icon. The tours of private homes are usually held in March.
However, August 2007 is one of two Shotgun House Months. Besides the 2007 Cottage Living Idea Home, 50 photographs of historic "New Orleans' Favorite" shotguns, along with great stories about their residents, are on view at the PRC center, 923 Tchoupitoulas St. and will be featured at White Linen Night. Get more information from the Preservation Center's website
