What Is an Acadian Style House?
In the 19th century, the Acadian style house became a popular choice of construction for homes, particularly in wet or wintry climates. The Acadian style house was prominent in maritime Canadian areas, and the style blended West Indian influences with Canadian practicality. The houses were often laid out in a Georgian style — that is, the rooms were arranged on either side of a central hallway with a kitchen at the back of the house and chimneys on the far walls of either side of the house. An Acadian style house features a steep, sloping roof with gables that shed snow and moisture effectively. The house was typically one or one and a half stories high, and the upstairs loft area created by the steep roof was used as a sleeping area. The space could also be used as an attic storage space. The Acadian style house was often made of native woods that were not easily affected by insects or moisture; cypress was a popular choice in the southeast United States. Further, the Acadian style ho
