The Post-War Cottage

The Post-War Cottage appeared during and after World War II (late 1930s – 1940s) when America was experiencing a severe housing shortage. The demand for simple, inexpensive housing that could be built quickly and efficiently grew as thousands of soldiers came back from the war front and started families of their own. The availability of this new affordable housing eased an unprecedented number of young American families into homeownership and autonomy.

Many Post-War Cottages were pre-fabricated and could be purchased from catalogues. They developed alongside suburban Ranch style homes, and both share a characteristic square or rectangular shape that was easy to construct and replicate. The roof of a Post-War Cottage can be either gabled or hipped, but it typically has a steeper pitch and more variable roof line than the horizontal low-pitched roof of a Ranch style home. In fact, many of the Post-War Cottages found in neighborhoods such as Gentilly, Gentilly Terrace, and Bunny Friend have a steeply pitched gable above the door or porch.

Post-War Cottages are often short on architectural details. This is due to the era in which they were built. During World War II, wood was being conserved for the war effort. As a result, the cottages contain little adornment and do not typically have eaves. They may have a small circular or octagonal window in the front of the house which provides some interest.

Four Post-War cottages in the Gentilly Terrace neighborhood (pictured below) have been proposed for demolition by the Louisiana Land Trust. The homes appear on the Neighborhood Conservation Districts Committee agenda for February 22, 2010. The Preservation Resource Center supports the efforts of the Gentilly Terrace Neighborhood Organization to urge the Louisiana Land Trust to locate buyers who will renovate the properties rather than tear them down and sell the empty lots. Retention of Post-War Cottages in Gentilly Terrace, as well as in other neighborhoods that experienced this type of infill housing during the Post-War period, is vital to the character of these neighborhoods.

Visit our Flickr page to view photographs of more Post-War Cottages and to view other properties proposed for demolition in the Gentilly Terrace area.