King Louis Square

Another from the heavy handed mansards of King Louis Square, or as I like to call them, the Turd Mansards.

Isn't this a Pyramid project? What a messy mansard. Like someone chucked a charcoal briquet on top of a cheaply made 3 story and deemed it would "fit in with the architectural style of Lafayette Square and Soulard..." Yeah, right.

Cosmetic Makeovers, Hannibal Edition

Today's mansard looks pretty good until you look closely- some windows are boarded and tuckpointing is desperately needed. I've written extensively about the sad state of Hannibal's historic district. There just don't appear to be enough folks in Hannibal who appreciate historic housing who have the money to rehab Hannibals' incredible housing stock.

Who's the chic? That's the new Bravo Housewife of Orange County, Alexis. Click here if you want to dumb yourself down and read more about the Real Housewives (I admit I watch). Alexis grew up in Hannibal. Clearly she's had some work done (giant boobies!). Wouldn't it be nice if as much rehab went on in her hometown.

Mansard de l'électricité

Oui, this is a mansard protective covering of an electrical substation in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans. Merci graduate etudiant Matthieu!

Mon coeur est triste

My heart is sad. So much is wrong here- roofing material, windows, meter by the door, paneling, Home Depot door, etc.

2511 Salena in Benton Park must be part of another property because the address does not show up in the Assessor's data base.

Looks like copper around the top. At least it hasn't been stolen.

Aujourd'hui

Today I ran a bunch of errands and I was determined to find a new residential mansard. I took new routes and turned on some unfamiliar streets.

Found it! Off Laclede Station in Webster on Yale Avenue.

The best thing about this mansard is that it is by my friend J's house and she invited Gus over for a playdate. A treasure of a mansard, a treasure of a friend.

Kewt!

I have a mild obsession with the mini-mansard. This is a two story on 13th Street in Soulard. There are two different types of 2-story Second Empires.

Houses like le mansard enfant were designed to only be two stories, thus the fancy details on the second floor roof, windows,etc.

Others are two stories only because their third stories were destroyed, likely by the tornado of 1896. Homeowners just roofed over the 3rd story flooring material and that was it. My first house in Lafayette Square had a lost 3rd story. Because the mansard is missing, the only Second Empire details remaining are the brackets and dentil work. I've said it before, but I hate the paint color the new owners picked. YUCK!

Avant and Apres

This mansard belongs to reader Mike out in the county. Didn't he do a good job replacing the roofing material and windows? Look at the bottom picture- he added dormers to the windows of the second floor. That change transformed a potentially bad mansard into a handsome mansard.