Flounder house
A flounder house is a term used in some areas to describe a type of house with a roof with a single slope, rather than the double slope of gabled roof.[1] Some are oriented so that the shed roof runs perpendicular to the facade, in these tallest wall of the house lacks windows and doors.[2] The house may align with a property edge, sit at the back of its lot, or align with other houses on its street.[2][3][4] Others have a different number of apparent stories on the facade and the rear elevation, with the ridge line running parallel the facade.
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Though modern examples exist, most flounder houses date from the 18th or 19th century.[5] They can be found in cities in the United States from the Mississippi River Valley to the East Coast.[2]
The flounder house's namesake is the similarly asymmetrical flounder fish.[6][3]
Origin
The motivation for building flounder houses is debated.[7][4][8] Common folklore follow one of three themes: "a result of an early restrictive building ordinance, the original owner's plan for future expansion, or a desire to reduce property taxes."[2] In fact, shed roofed buildings are often simply the cheapest to construct.
Residents of various cities with shed-roofed houses believe that these houses are indigenous to their city.[9][10]
Examples
Shed-roof houses can be found across the United States, including in St Louis, Missouri; Cincinnati, Ohio; Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; Fredericksburg and Alexandria, Virginia; Baltimore, Maryland; New Castle, Delaware; and Boston, Massachusetts.[2] The term "flounder", though, is not used in most of these locations.
277 flounder houses have been cataloged in St. Louis, Missouri as of July 2015.[11][12] The Cassey House is a flounder house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1960, Alexandria, Virginia, may have had 75 flounder houses,[13] dramatically fewer than the 1500 flounder houses estimated to have existed there in the 19th century.[2] A parsonage built in 1787 claims the distinction of oldest flounder house in Alexandria.[14][15]
Legacy
The Cultural Resources Office of St. Louis began a survey in 2015, in order to better preserve the city's flounder houses.[12] Individuals have also taken interest in flounder houses, sometimes incorporating historical houses into modern renovations.[16]
In The Carlisle Chronicles, a 1986 mystery trilogy by Norma Johnston, the protagonists' family lives in a flounder house designed to avoid a glass tax.[17][18]
See also
References
- Harris, Cyril M. (2003-01-17). American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393731033.
- Martin, Christopher (1986). ""Hope Deferred": The Origin and Development of Alexandria's Flounder House". Perspectives in Vernacular Architecture. 2: 111–119. doi:10.2307/3514322. JSTOR 3514322.
- Rural & Urban House Types in North America. Princeton Architectural Press. 1982-01-01. ISBN 9780910413152.
- Feldhaus, Hal (Nov 1987). "Flounder Houses of Old Town Alexandria". Old-House Journal. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
- "A New Flounder House in Old North | Preservation Research Office". preservationresearch.com. 9 May 2010. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
- "Finding St. Louis' Famous Flounder Houses". 4 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
- "What Is A Flounder House? A Simple Explanation". Retrieved 2015-09-14.
- "Colonial Architecture in Alexandria, Virginia - Old-House Online". Old-House Online. 19 August 2011. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
- "Jaybird's Jottings: Flounder Houses in Old Town Alexandria". jay.typepad.com. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
- "Fate of Flounder House on Monday's Preservation Board Agenda | Preservation Research Office". preservationresearch.com. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
- "St. Louis survey finds dozens of historic, triangular 'flounder' houses are endangered". news.stlpublicradio.org. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-26.
- Bradley, Betsy H. (July 2015). "2015 Thematic Survey of Flounder Houses in St. Louis City Survey Report" (PDF). Cultural Resources Office, Planning and Development Agency, City of St. Louis. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
- "Alexandria in the 20th Century". Retrieved 2015-12-27.
- Feldhaus, Hal (1986). Flounder Houses of Old Town Alexandria: Where Have All the Flounders Gone?. Do-It Publishing Group. ISBN 9780936265001.
- "Old Presbyterian Meeting House: History: Flounder House - Facilities". www.opmh.org. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
- Nadel, Barbara A. (2000). "A flounder house provides new space for an old district" (PDF). Inland Architect. 117 (1).
- Johnston, Norma (1986-01-01). Carlisle's Hope. Bantam Books. ISBN 9780553254679.
- Dale, Alzina Stone (2004-01-01). Mystery Reader's Walking Guide: Washington. iUniverse. ISBN 9780595307159.