Written by Big Easy Windows
Key Takeaways
- For shotgun house windows in New Orleans, start with the house type. The city’s Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) calls the shotgun probably the most prevalent historic building type in New Orleans, and the Creole cottage the earliest remaining local housing type.
- A typical Creole cottage facade has 4 shuttered openings, usually French doors or a mix of French doors and double-hung windows. A typical shotgun single has a shuttered door and window.
- Shutters are part of the design, not decoration. HDLC’s guidelines note that different shutter types suit different building ages and styles.
- Historic shutters aren’t automatically a tested storm protection system, so settle storm protection with your permit office before you choose windows.
- Big Easy Windows replaces and custom-sizes windows for older New Orleans homes. Call (504) 384-8165.
What Makes Shotgun House Windows in New Orleans Different?
Quick Answer: Shotgun house windows in New Orleans sit on a narrow facade where every opening counts, usually just a door and a window on a single or 2 doors and 2 windows on a double, and they’re traditionally shuttered. Creole cottages put 4 openings across a symmetrical front. So a replacement on either house type has to match the proportions and shutter arrangement of a facade with very few openings to hide a mistake. Start by confirming whether your address is under historic review, then size every opening individually and plan storm protection alongside the window choice.
The HDLC’s design guidelines describe the shotgun as “probably the most prevalent historic building type in the city” and date the type in New Orleans to at least the 1830s, while the Creole cottage dates to the 1790s. If you own one, this guide covers what the city’s own guidelines say about their openings, and how that shapes a window decision.
How Are Creole Cottage Openings Arranged?
According to the HDLC, the Creole cottage is a vernacular type shaped by French and Spanish building methods and the local climate. The typical cottage is 1 to 1.5 stories tall, 2 rooms wide and 2 rooms deep, with a hipped or side-gabled roof and often tall, narrow dormer windows.
The facade is where window choices matter most. The HDLC describes a typical Creole cottage front as symmetrical with 4 openings, usually 4 sets of French doors or 2 sets of French doors and 2 double-hung windows, all shuttered. Many cottages also have an overhang, called an abat-vent, that shelters the facade and directs rain away from the windows and doors.
That symmetry leaves little room for a mismatched replacement. A double-hung unit with the wrong sash pattern or a thicker frame reads immediately on a 4-opening facade. The HDLC’s replacement window review table also treats street-facing and non-street-facing elevations differently for some window types, so ask staff what applies to each side of the house.
How Are Shotgun House Openings Arranged?
The HDLC describes the single shotgun as a long, narrow house 1 room wide and 3 to 5 rooms deep. The typical single facade is a door and a window, usually shuttered, sometimes with a porch or deep overhang. A shotgun double is a twinned single with a symmetrical front of 2 doors and 2 windows. A camelback adds a second story at the rear.
The guidelines also point out that shotguns were built from the 1830s into the 1950s with windows and doors reflecting nearly every style popular in the city over that span, alongside plain utilitarian versions. So there’s no single “shotgun window.” A Greek Revival shotgun and an Arts and Crafts shotgun can call for different sash and trim.
One detail matters on doubles. The HDLC’s windows and doors guidelines say entrance doors on homes originally built as doubles, such as shotgun doubles, should be maintained. If you’ve combined a double into a single home, talk through the facade before changing any opening.
What Do Historic Window Types Look Like on These Houses?
The HDLC’s guidelines for windows and doors describe the historic sash types you’ll see on older New Orleans houses. Two are worth knowing on these house types:
- Casement windows, hinged on one side, were typical of French-influenced architecture before 1830, hung to swing inward with exterior shutters. Our post on casement windows for older homes covers that look.
- Triple-hung windows, with 3 sashes that extend to the floor to allow passage through the window, are limited to the 1830s according to the guidelines.
Where the original was a hung sash, double-hung windows remain the natural replacement. Match the sash division and the depth of the frame in the opening as closely as possible.
Material is the other big question. Our comparison of wood vs vinyl windows lays out the tradeoffs, and the historic review section below explains why material gets scrutiny.
Why Do Shutters Matter So Much?
On these houses, shutters are part of the original design. The HDLC notes that exterior shutters historically shielded windows and doors for privacy and for protection from intruders and hurricanes, and that louvered shutters are the most common type in New Orleans.
The guidelines match shutter types to buildings:
- Batten shutters, made of vertical boards fastened with horizontal battens, are generally appropriate for pre-1840 buildings and Creole cottages.
- Louvered shutters are generally appropriate for mid to late 19th century styles such as Greek Revival and Italianate.
The guidelines also suggest looking for old hinges or screw holes in the window casing to tell whether shutters existed. And they list operable exterior shutters as one way to reduce solar heat gain, a real consideration on a sunny New Orleans facade.
Are Historic Shutters Storm Protection?
Don’t assume so. Where wind-borne debris rules apply, openings need impact-rated glass or an approved protection system with the right product approval, and a historic or decorative shutter doesn’t carry that approval just by being closable. Our guide to wind-borne debris rules in Louisiana explains the requirement, and our comparison of impact windows vs hurricane shutters covers the options.
The HDLC’s guidelines address storm protection on historic buildings too. Their hurricane protection review table lists installing fasteners that allow quick installation of protection before a storm as an HDLC staff review item. Visually obtrusive protection, or work that removes historic fabric, can require commission review. They also note that clips and fasteners can go on existing window trim so pre-cut plywood or fabric storm panels can be put up quickly.
Is Your House Under Historic Review?
The HDLC oversees local historic districts across the city, and its district map includes neighborhoods such as Bywater, the Marigny, Treme, and the Irish Channel. Review levels differ from district to district, and boundaries don’t always follow neighborhood names. Confirm your address before ordering anything. Our post on historic district window rules in New Orleans covers what review tends to look at and how to plan the timeline.
Why Does Every Opening Need Its Own Measurement?
A house that has settled for a century can have openings that are out of square or slightly different sizes from one side of the house to the other. A good installer measures each opening on its own and checks it for square before ordering, since a stock unit forced into an old opening changes the proportions review is trying to protect. Custom windows are often the answer on these houses, and our guide on how to measure for custom windows explains why sizing gets its own step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I replace the windows on my shotgun house with vinyl?
It depends on whether your house is under historic review and on what the reviewing body allows for that elevation. Confirm with the HDLC before ordering.
Should I restore my shutters or remove them?
On a Creole cottage or shotgun, shutters are part of the original look, and the HDLC’s guidelines treat them as a building feature. Restoring or replacing them with the appropriate type is usually the better path for the facade.
Do I need impact windows on a historic New Orleans house?
That depends on the requirements for your address. Where protection is required, impact-rated windows or approved shutters can meet it. Ask the permit office, and raise historic review at the same time.
My windows were replaced decades ago with the wrong style. Can I fix that?
Often, yes. Replacing an unsympathetic older replacement with windows that match the house type is a reasonable goal. Bring photos of the facade to your estimate.
Plan Windows That Fit Your House Type
We’ll measure every opening on your facade and help you plan windows and storm protection that suit a shotgun or Creole cottage. If a storm has already done damage, start with our storm-damaged windows decision guide.
Explore whole-home window replacement in New Orleans and window replacement in New Orleans, request an estimate online, or call (504) 384-8165.
