The Second Empire style of home was inspired by architecture that was popular in Paris during the French Second Empire, from 1852–1870. It was popular in the United States from 1860 through 1880 for homes and commercial and government buildings, but it was most popular in the eastern and midwestern states. There are far fewer examples here in the West. But we have some interesting ones here in Santa Barbara.
The overall styling and massing of the homes are similar to Italianate homes, which I covered in my column last June. The defining element of Second Empire homes, however, is the mansard roof. The French architect François Mansart from an earlier era (1598-1666), had used this style so frequently that his name became associated with it.
A mansard roof has two parts: the lower part of the roof has a steeper slope than the upper part. This provides more usable space in the attic. There is a story that this style of roof was developed in Paris when buildings were taxed by the number of stories below the cornice (roofline), and that a mansard roof allowed more space without adding an extra floor.