The more aware I’ve become of the rarity of double-shotgun houses, the more intrigued I am by the form. This cottage in Tattnall County is clearly a double-shotgun, but it is also pyramidal. It’s a great illustration of the overlap in vernacular forms. These structures were almost always associated with tenant farming but many were modified for later use as one-family residences or cabins. This example is a favorite and truly one of the nicest I’ve found.
Note: This updates and replaces a post originally published on 26 October 2014.
The original duplex!
My family lived in a brick duplex in Savannah for several years in the late 1960’s.
This is just the “country” version.
Hi Brian… Thanks for the post. Can you please explain why this is called a double-shotgun? Is it because the hallways run from front doorway to back doorway?
Rob- Yes, the shotgun house has straight-through hallways. The double-shotgun has two residences with a straight-through hall, divided by a central wall. This allowed landowners to have two families in one structure, as opposed to building two separate structures.
Thanks!