When I think of Shawnee I think of the Graham and Usher families, and I imagine one of them owned this house, which sits across from the commissary that has become the symbol of the village.

It’s a somewhat rare house type known as a double shotgun. While the lack of windows along most of the side of the house is unappealing today, this was a common practice with utilitarian dwellings. Most of them were rental properties or tenant housing “provided” to employees and since they were already viewed as an added expense by their owners, costs were cut any way they could be. Windows were expensive.

When I photographed this one, in 2015, it was still in relatively good condition. It was overgrown the last time I was in Shawnee.