What Is A Shotgun House? A Guide

Buying a house in a historical area can mean considering homes with a unique floor plan. Shotgun style homes are unique in that they do not have hallways – you walk through each room to get to the next one!

This may seem strange, but this floorplan has been popular for centuries in many parts of the world. A shotgun house features historic, charming architecture filled with potential. Learn all about this unique Southern home style to see if it’s right for you.

What Is A Shotgun House?

Shotgun houses are long, narrow, rectangular homes with rooms that adjoin each other without hallways. This popular house style was originally designed to fit many homes into a small plot of land, and to have as efficient of a floor plan as possible, allowing for an economical choice for homeowners. The shotgun house interior is characterized by a cascading floor plan that allows for a flow of people – and air – between rooms.

History Of Shotgun Houses

The style of the shotgun house is believed to have come from West African slaves in Haiti. While forced to work on coffee and sugar plantations in Haiti, the slaves built dwellings resembling those of their homeland. These structures had similar features of shotgun homes today, like square rooms, a rectangular design and a lack of hallways.

This style was then combined with that of the Taino people (original inhabitants of Haiti) to add new features like stucco walls, a gabled entrance and a thatched roof, all of which we see in later shotgun houses such as those in the United States.

After the Haitian revolution in 1804, many Haitians came – either as slaves brought by their masters or as free people – to Louisiana, which is how this style of home was established in New Orleans. These homes quickly became prominent in many working-class African American communities in numerous cities throughout the Southern United States.

However, despite their historical significance, many shotgun style homes were destroyed by urban renewal planning in the 1960s and 1970s since many urban planners viewed them as symbols of poverty. Many of the remaining houses that survived this in New Orleans were swept away by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Why are they called shotgun houses?

A shotgun house gets its name from the theory that a bullet shot from the front door would pass through the house and exit the back door without ever hitting anything in its path, due to the home’s long and narrow design. Another theory is that shotgun houses get their name from the Yoruba word “togun,” which means “house” or “gathering place.”

Shotgun House Characteristics

Here are some of the key features and styles of shotgun homes.

Shotgun House Floor Plan

The interior design and layout of shotgun houses are what make them unique. Traditionally, shotgun house plans featured a cascading floor plan, a type of floor plan that doesn’t feature hallways. Instead, homeowners must walk through one room to reach the next one.

Most shotgun house interior layouts featured a front door that opened into the living room. After the living room, most homes usually had one or two additional rooms with a kitchen toward the back of the house.

Shotgun House Exterior Features

While the interior layout is what most people think of when they imagine a shotgun house, there are also exterior characteristics specific to this style of home. Shotgun houses typically feature gabled roofs and gabled front porches. This type of roof has two evenly sloped sides that peak at the top. Essentially, when facing the front, the roof looks like a triangle. Paired with the traditional low-pitched roofs and detailed columns, these give the shotgun homes a very distinct look.

If the house has a porch, it most likely has columns that attach to a roof, which leaves most of the porch in shade. This allows for people to socialize on their porches while staying out of the sun.

Shotgun homes are often painted vibrant colors and feature decorative woodwork that was typically associated with Victorian homes. Additionally, shotgun homes rarely have side windows. This goes back to those narrow lots – side windows don’t give much privacy and were usually skipped over.

Types Of Shotgun Houses

There are many different subtypes of shotgun homes. Here are some of the most popular varieties and their characteristics.

Single Shotgun

The single shotgun home is the standard version of a shotgun house. It’s long, narrow and rectangular, generally 12 feet wide, with three to four rooms, and has two windows on the gabled front porch, complete with shutters.

Double Shotgun Or Double-Barrel Shotgun

These homes are a variation on the single shotgun. A double shotgun sees two single shotgun homes joined together to share a center wall, the same as a duplex. These features made this type of home ideal for multiple generations of families who wanted to live near each other. Some families even took out the center wall in the living room to create a larger, joint common space.

Camelback Shotgun

This style of shotgun home is similar to a single shotgun except that it features a set of stairs at the back of the home that lead to a partial second floor. Generally, this modification was done to increase living space.

Side Gallery Shotgun

A side gallery shotgun style incorporates a hall or a porch on a side of the home. This addition separates it from a traditional shotgun style since most typically only have a front porch and don’t feature hallways.

North Shore Shotgun

This style of shotgun home was named for the North Shore of New Orleans, where many wealthy families built their vacation homes. These homes feature a wide veranda on three sides, giving them a grander feel compared to some of the more traditional shotgun homes.

Where To Find A Shotgun House

Shotgun homes are primarily located in the Southeastern United States. Within those areas, you are most likely to find this style of home in downtown urban areas, where land is scarce and homes were built long and narrow to fit into the smaller space.

How Much Does A Shotgun House Cost?

Shotgun homes are often a more affordable option because they are smaller in square footage. However, a well-preserved and updated shotgun home in a desirable historical area could now be quite expensive. Your best bet in getting a reasonable price on a shotgun home is to find one in need of restoration and to plan to do the updating after purchasing it.

Is A Shotgun House For You?

Shotgun homes are a great option for people looking to restore or live in a historical home. Because of their smaller size and smaller overall footprint, they can be one of the lower cost options when comparing historical homes. Also, their floor plans are designed to be as energy-efficient as possible, further saving you money on upkeep.

However, because of their age, historical homes can quickly become a money pit and might need expensive repairs. Shotgun homes might also be held to specific historical home guidelines. Plus, the long and narrow floor plan will limit your options as it is not easy to renovate into an open floor plan design.

The Bottom Line

Shotgun homes are a great option for those looking for a modest sized home in a historical area. The floorplan was designed to keep cool in the heat and make the most of every square foot of land. If you live somewhere that shotgun homes exist, they can definitely be worth visiting and considering.

If you are ready to buy your dream shotgun house, head over to start on a mortgage application today.