The floorplan – not the firearm.
Accumulated through the years from several different sources I was well aware that a “shotgun” house was a popular floor plan in New Orleans. They still held a few surprises for me.
We drove down the residental street Monday morning for the first time with our guide from the camp telling us we were going to a double shotgun. I didn’t know they came in duplex size. And I was busy looking at the other houses – repaired, broken, vacant lots abandoned or maintained – huge variety in the half mile or so we drove.
We entered through the left kitchen. The halves are mirror images of each other and when the re-construction is complete one long solid wall will run the entire length. The week we worked there the kitchens were “joined” if you can use that term to describe open studs. Planning preceeded moving a ladder and some other large items from one side to the other.
Dark. We could hardly tell the function of the rooms. The primary reason for this was the large pieces of plywood set to block each window at the end of the workday. Tools and supplies out of sight are less tempting.
The other surprise that was pleasant in this house was the size. My notion had been that shotgun was a small house, no more than two bedrooms with one bath. But so much for pre-conceived ideas.
From the front each side of the duplex will have: living room, kitchen with laundry, full bath opening to long main hall, master bedroom with full bath, second bedroom, third bedroom with patio door to rear.
Time to file the floorplan under good, practical, and wouldn’t mind living in.
