Davis, Monica UNCG Department of Interior Architecture

Description

Shotgun houses are the most widely acknowledged expression of African-American architectural design in the United States, rooted in indigenous west African architectural and spatial traditions, and traced from west Africa to Haiti and on to New Orleans. Because of that history, they have also been prey to urban renewal efforts. This brief examines the orgins of the shotgun house design, the impact of urban renewal on historic shotgun house neighborhoods, and present-day preservation efforts working to protect the few surviving examples of this unique architectural style. Key concepts include shotgun houses, New Orleans architecture, African-American vernacular design, American residential architecture, impacts of urban renewal, and adaptive reuse.

Record Contributed By

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Record Harvested From

North Carolina Digital Heritage Center