Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
MANSARD ROOF
MANSARD ROOF. A unique style of roof that continues down over the upper section of a building's walls.
An identification key to[[[SECOND EMPIRE ARCHITECTURE]], Mansard roofs became popular as a result of a tax ruling in France where taxes due on homes were determined on the number of floors. A man named Mansard nailed shingles over the top floor of his home and claimed that this made the area inside an attic and therefore not subject to taxation. He was taken to court by tax officials, but won his case.