The history behind the “shotgun” houses of New Orleans

“Shotgun” houses — typically narrow, rectangular, one-story structures featuring doors on each end with a straight “shot” from one to the other — are closely associated with New Orleans.

“Many believe that the origins of the shotgun house are the narrow lot sizes that were common in the 19th century of New Orleans development,” said Fallon Samuels Aidoo, an assistant professor of real estate and historic preservation at Tulane University’s School of Architecture. “But there’re other influences not germane to New Orleans or Louisiana or even the United States.”

Researchers have traced elongated houses, similar to today’s shotgun houses, to West Africa and modern-day Haiti. “French explorers and colonialists brought back those influences and people who were familiar with building in that way to New Orleans, which was a major port city in the slave trade,” said Aidoo. 

She said it’s likely that the architectural style took off in New Orleans during the 19th century because they were relatively simple to construct. “There was a time in New Orleans history, but also in the history of the American South, when shotgun houses were seen as the home of the working class,” said Aidoo. “Many states were not authorizing people of color to be registered as architects, and so it has also served as a building type for those who do not have access to capital and for those who don’t have access to professionally registered architects.”

But despite their “working class” origins, many shotgun houses were built in wealthy neighborhoods as well, often with ornate details and additional square footage. “When you have a building type that is variable in size and in style and in construction materials, it can feel like home to a lot of different people,” said Aidoo. “They’re a part of how [New Orleans] sees itself — as a place that is for everyone.”

However, Aidoo argues that today, because of the high cost of upkeep and renovation on historic homes, shotgun houses have become the “architecture of gentrification.”

“You have this issue of people holding on dearly to the shotguns that have been passed down to them from one generation to the next, and then individuals who are purchasing and gut-renovating and reconfiguring these shotgun houses,” she said. “The identity of the shotgun house as a house ‘for anyone and everyone’ in New Orleans is starting to fray.”

Use the audio player above to hear more about shotgun homes in New Orleans.

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