Half House

When I first moved into my neighborhood I noticed that a lot of the houses were made this way... I thought they were kind of odd. My dad did some research on them and this is what he found. I still love looking at them to this day and am proud to live in one as well!

When the immigrants began to settle in the area during the 1840's, they resided in row houses on "half" houses built on both streets and alleys. "Half" houses were built upon narrow lots perhaps with the intent of ultimately being joined by an adjacent mating structure. They were built with steep roofs pitched in one direction for quick drainage of rainwater.

These houses were generally brick with two stories and were built right up to the sidewalk line. Apparently the land owners were trying to get the maximum number of houses on the land, resulting in an abnormally high density of population among the laboring classes. The earlier houses followed simple Greek Revival design, while later examples built after 1850 featured more decorative elements such as wrought iron balconies, classic cornices and mansard roofs with intricate dormer windows.