This article was published on: 05/01/2001
 

			SECOND EMPIRE
	Amaze clients and customers with your architectural expertise about dozens of residential housing styles. Architecture Index Residential Art Deco California Bungalow Cape Cod Colonial Contemporary Craftsman Creole Dutch Colonial Federal French Provincial Georgian Gothic Revival Greek Revival International Italianate Monterey National Neoclassical Prairie Pueblo Queen Anne Ranch Regency Saltbox Second Empire Shed Shingle Shotgun Spanish Eclectic Split Level Stick Tudor Victorian Home features Arches Columns Dormers Roofs Windows Interior Details Classic Molding		Second Empire—Popular in the Midwest and Northeast, this Victorian style was fashionable for public buildings during Ulysses S. Grant's presidency, but its elaborate, costly detail fell out of favor in the late 1800s for economic reasons. Second empire homes feature mansard roofs with dormer windows, molded cornices, and decorative brackets under the eaves. One subtype sports a rectangular tower at the front and center of the structure. (See also Victorian.) To learn more about this style, read Architecture Coach: Understanding French Accents and Architecture Coach: Victorian Character.