Two Decatur Shotgun Houses!
Decatur Metro | April 12, 2010
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While many Atlanta in-town neighborhoods, like Inman Park, have countless examples of shotgun houses (a very popular house-type in the American South from around 1865-1920) Decatur has surprisingly few.
Last week, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked Decatur’s Preservation Planner Regina Brewer if there were any examples of shotgun houses left inside the city limits.
And though no one at the city was able to confirm Melissa’s recent report of two shotgun houses along the 700 block of Sycamore Drive, Laura Drummond – who recently worked on Decatur’s Historic Resources Survey – points out two double-shotgun houses on East Lake Drive in Oakhurst!
At first glance, they sorta look like two Craftman-style bungalows smashed together.
Oh yeah. Double barrel.
I remember going by those all the time when I lived on Oakview. They’re right near the MARTA station. Never realized they were shotguns.
Dork? Definitely!
Is that two “double shotguns” or one “shotgun double?” It looks like a shotgun double, which in New Orleans is a single building containing two side-by-side residences with each room lined up one behind the other.
I used to live in a shotgun house as a child. They are very efficient for their purpose, and more private than an apartment of the same size, regardless of the room layout.
This may be off topic a bit, but I was wondering if anyone knew of origin Oakhursts’ Mellrich Ave’s street name. Any ideas where I can track that down?
I live in one of those houses and I’m not sure they are true shotguns. What definition of shotgun are you using?
If there haven’t been any renovations, there should be a hallway that stretches unhindered from the front door to the backdoor.