The three dogtrot houses at 315-25 N. Miro Street in Mid-City were destroyed by fire on March 24, 2013. As you may recall, the PRC Advocacy team had been working to keep these architecturally significant homes off of the demolition list for the past few years in hopes that they could eventually be moved through the adjudication process. Unfortunately, their time ran out. According to firemen on the scene, the fire was started by squatters who had broken into the homes.

Dogtrot houses are characterized by two equal size rooms that are separated by a central open passage, or breezeway, and joined under a common roof. They are a house type normally associated with Scots-Irish and German pioneers of the Upland South (Appalachia and the Southern states).

As Scots-Irish and German pioneers made their way westward through the vast forests of the U.S., they often took the dogtrot house type with them. Adding on a new room and extending the existing roof was the easiest way to expand a residence, and they quickly became a symbol of prosperity among Upland South farmers. Originally, dogtrots were built of logs, but balloon framing became popular as manufactured lumber became more readily available in the late 19th century.

Fun fact: Dogtrots got their name from the pioneers who could hear their dogs walking back and forth in the breezeway. They are also called possum-trots for the same reason. 

Eventually, dogtrots made their way through Louisiana and into New Orleans, where they were blended with the Creole cottage architectural type and specifically adapted for our urban setting. The smaller lot sizes in New Orleans meant that the breezeways shrunk from an average of 6-8 feet wide to a compact 2-3 feet wide.  In this form, they are unique and rare examples of vernacular architecture in New Orleans. There are now only 14 of them remaining.

Click here to see photos of other dogtrot Creole cottages in New Orleans. If you are aware of dogtrots in New Orleans that are not in the photo set, please contact Jennifer Anderson, who is currently writing her Master’s thesis on this housing type.

Click here to see photos of the fire damage at 315-25 N. Miro Street.