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.

A flounder house has a shed roof and lacks windows and doors on its tallest wall.

Though modern examples exist, most flounder houses date from the 18th or 19th centuries.[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
  1. Harris, Cyril M. (2003-01-17). American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393731033.
  2. 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.
  3. Rural & Urban House Types in North America. Princeton Architectural Press. 1982-01-01. ISBN 9780910413152.
  4. Feldhaus, Hal (Nov 1987). "Flounder Houses of Old Town Alexandria". Old-House Journal. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  5. "A New Flounder House in Old North | Preservation Research Office". preservationresearch.com. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  6. "Finding St. Louis' Famous Flounder Houses". Retrieved 2015-09-14.
  7. "What Is A Flounder House? A Simple Explanation". Retrieved 2015-09-14.
  8. "Colonial Architecture in Alexandria, Virginia - Old-House Online". Old-House Online. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  9. "Jaybird's Jottings: Flounder Houses in Old Town Alexandria". jay.typepad.com. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
  10. "Fate of Flounder House on Monday's Preservation Board Agenda | Preservation Research Office". preservationresearch.com. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  11. "St. Louis survey finds dozens of historic, triangular 'flounder' houses are endangered". news.stlpublicradio.org. Retrieved 2015-12-26.
  12. 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.
  13. "Alexandria in the 20th Century". Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  14. Feldhaus, Hal (1986). Flounder Houses of Old Town Alexandria: Where Have All the Flounders Gone?. Do-It Publishing Group. ISBN 9780936265001.
  15. "Old Presbyterian Meeting House: History: Flounder House - Facilities". www.opmh.org. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
  16. Nadel, Barbara A. (2000). "A flounder house provides new space for an old district" (PDF). Inland Architect. 117 (1).
  17. Johnston, Norma (1986-01-01). Carlisle's Hope. Bantam Books. ISBN 9780553254679.
  18. Dale, Alzina Stone (2004-01-01). Mystery Reader's Walking Guide: Washington,. iUniverse. ISBN 9780595307159.
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