The
term "mansard" comes from the French architect François Mansart
(1598-1666) of the Beaux Arts School of Architecture in Paris, France. Mansart
revived interest in this roofing style, which had been characteristic of French
Renaissance architecture, and was used for portions of the Louvre.
Another
revival of the mansard roof occurred in the 1850s, when Paris was rebuilt
by Napoleon III. The style became associated with this era, and the term Second
Empire is often used to describe any building with a mansard roof.
Mansard
roofs were considered especially practical because they allowed usable living
quarters to be placed in the attic. For this reason, older buildings were
often remodeled with mansard roofs. In the United States, Second Empire --
or Mansard -- was a Victorian style, popular from the 1860s through the 1880s.
Architecture
Glossary