What is a Creole Cottage?

Found all throughout New Orleans, a Creole Cottage is a home typically built between 1790 and 1850. This type of home is usually 1.5 stories set to ground level. The steeply-pitched roof gives them away and they also feature a symmetrical four-opening facade. The exterior may be stucco or wood and these homes are usually found very close to the property line.

The French Quarter is home to many of these Creole Cottages. It’s one of the oldest architectural styles found throughout New Orleans and they can also be found in the Faubourg Marginy, Vieux Carre and Treme neighborhoods.

Architectural Features

The Creole Cottage contains many unique elements throughout. There are two specific styles of this home, one with a full front porch, which came from the Caribbean and the other with a high gabled roof, a porch and a close proximity to the street, which came from a French Canadian origin.

The earlier designs contained one or two main rooms, which opened onto the porch. Often, there was an interior chimney, which would pierce the ridge line of the roof. If the home hat two rooms, back-to-back fireplaces were used.

Other common elements of the earliest Creole Cottages include a raised basement and being situated at the property line. Creole Cottages also tend to have no hallways inside and the rooms are usually square in design.

Some architectural scholars believe the Gulf Coast cottage is similar to the Creole Cottage. However, this has never been completely proven, but both have similar characteristics. The Gulf Coast cottage and Tidewater-type cottage started to appear later than the Creole Cottage in the 1820s and 1830s.

This style of home in New Orleans may also include French doors, tall ceilings, wood floors, shutters, tall windows, mantles and downstairs public rooms. Some have hallways, but that’s very rare, which makes for very efficient use of the space.

Today, many of these cottages have been remodeled or renovated, but keep the unique characteristics from the original design. They are found in many bold colors throughout New Orleans and provide plenty of bang for your buck. The efficient use of the space makes these homes very attractive for those coming to New Orleans. Of course, the history also helps.