The hallway is the feature that makes this subtype easy to confuse with both a traditional shotgun and a side-gallery house. The City draws the distinction through circulation.
Written by Ryan Roberts
Ryan Roberts is a New Orleans real estate agent focused on shotgun homes and historic residential property.
What defines a sidehall shotgun?
A sidehall shotgun combines the elongated body of the shotgun family with a conventional interior passage. New Orleans HDLC guidance describes sidehall and side-gallery shotguns as usually three bays wide, one room wide and three to six rooms deep.
The front often shows a door at one side and two windows, but facade count alone is not enough. The interior hall, room depth and roof form should agree with the classification.
How is it different from a traditional single shotgun?
A traditional single shotgun generally sends occupants through one room to reach the next. A sidehall moves that circulation into a passage, improving privacy and allowing bedrooms to open independently.
That change uses width that would otherwise belong to rooms. Some properties were built as sidehalls; others gained a hall during renovation or expansion. The current plan does not automatically prove the original plan.
| Feature | Traditional single | Sidehall | Side gallery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main circulation | Through rooms | Interior side hall | Exterior covered passage |
| Typical width | One room | One room plus hall | One room plus gallery |
| Privacy | Rooms connect directly | Rooms open from hall | Rooms can open to gallery |
| Identification risk | Renovated openings | Later-added hall | Enclosed former gallery |
How is a sidehall different from a side-gallery shotgun?
The passage location is the key difference. HDLC calls the sidehall passage a conventional hallway and the side-gallery passage a narrow covered side porch acting as an exterior corridor.
A later enclosure can blur that distinction. Compare evidence for a gallery, column or post and foundation pier, then look for roof continuity, former exterior siding, door thresholds and historic plans before deciding that today's enclosed space was always interior.
What should a buyer verify?
Verify whether the hall is original, permitted or structurally integrated with the house. A hall may alter room dimensions, natural light, ventilation, roof drainage and the relationship between an addition and the historic frame.
Review the the permit record for the address, compare prior floor plans and have a qualified inspector examine framing and moisture conditions. In a regulated historic district, exterior changes related to a former gallery or new openings may also require preservation review.
Common questions about sidehall shotguns
Does a hallway mean the house is not a shotgun?
Not necessarily. New Orleans guidance recognizes the sidehall shotgun as a distinct subtype within the wider shotgun family.
Is a sidehall always wider than a traditional single?
It usually needs additional width for the passage, but exact dimensions vary and later renovations can redistribute rooms.
Is a sidehall shotgun the same as a sidehall cottage?
The terms can overlap in local usage. Identify the actual plan and use the terminology adopted by the relevant historic survey or agency.
Key takeaways
- 01A sidehall uses an interior passage along one side.
- 02A side gallery uses an exterior covered passage instead.
- 03Current circulation may reflect a later conversion.
- 04Plans, permits and physical evidence should support the subtype label.
References
- 01Building Types and Architectural Styles
New Orleans HDLC
- 02Smart renovations transform historic shotgun houses
Preservation Resource Center
- 03Esplanade Ridge Historic District National Register nomination
National Park Service
My methodology
Open each item to see the scope, definitions and limits behind the article.
Research date+
HDLC and preservation sources were reviewed on August 31, 2026.
Classification+
The article prioritizes circulation and documented building form over facade shorthand.
Scope+
A subtype identification is not a structural, permit or legal-use determination.