Creole Architecture Notes

1. Creole Architecture Notes Some things we already know! Some things we can learn!

2. Raised Creole Plantation Houses-Exterior • House raised 6 to 8 feet on brick piers • 2 stories high • 1st floor used for storage • attic not used • 2nd floor living space • Gallery- covered porch • Gable or pitched roof • Columns support roof • Central chimney

3. Creole Cottages-Exterior • House raised on brick piers • 1 or 1 1/2 stories high • Attic not used • Gallery- covered porch • Gable or pitched roof • Columns support roof • Central chimney Image courtesy of Magnolia Mound Plantation, Baton Rouge, LA.

4. Creole Houses-Interior • Rectangular floor plan • No hallways • No stairs inside • Cabinets beside rear gallery • French Doors • At least 2 rooms wide

5. Creole Houses-Interior Walls • Walls made of bousillage, a mixture of Spanish moss and mud placed between the timbers to create a wall

6. Creole Townhouses • No hallways • Rear courtyard • No stairs inside • Narrow front balcony with wrought iron banisters • Carriageway • At least 2 stories • 1st floor for commercial use • 2nd floor living area

7. Pigeonniers • Common on Creole plantations • Contained nesting boxes for pigeons • Provided meat and fertilizer • 1 or 1 ½ stories • 1st level storage/office • 2nd level pigeon coop