Mansard Roof Second Empire House

The mansard roof is a ubiquitous feature in american second empire houses built between 1860 and 1890.

Mansard roof second empire house.

One of the most elegant mansard rooftops on all of staten island belongs to stately borough hall which was constructed between 1904 and 1906. The dormer windows that penetrate the roof reveal its secret. The most prominent feature of the second empire style is a mansard roof named after 17th century french architect francois mansart. The mansard roof is actually one of the style s most distinguishing features.

In a word no. Such a house is still a queen anne not a second empire. During the renaissance in italy and france many buildings had steep double sloped roofs. In second empire buildings the mansard roof must be the dominant feature not a subsidiary one.

In fact the second empire style is often called the mansard style. In the same way many stick style houses have mansard roofs but they are not second empire because it is the stick style features that dominate the design. While the steep mansard roof of miss morgan s castle. However the tall mansard roofthat we associate with the style dates back to renaissance times.

You might for example have a queen anne house with a gabled main roof and a mansard roofed tower. Beautiful second empire italianate of 3600 sq ft on over 5 5 acres in saratoga springs. At its most elaborate the look was sometimes described as a wedding cake. The term second empirerefers to the empire that louis napoleon napoleon iii established in france during the mid 1800s.

Grand front porch soaring ceilings grand staircases and architectural details throughout. The steep pitch of the roof yields more usable space beneath it than a traditional gable roof. The mansard roof disguises an additional story of living space. Second empire style homes share the characteristic mansard roof a steeply sloping roof with slightly flared eaves.