A simple dwelling built by immigrants (Acadians) from the Maritime Provinces of Canada who, from about 1760 to 1790, settled largely in the bayou districts of southern Louisiana where their descendants are now usually referred to as Cajuns. In the early 1800s, the typical Cajun cottage was built on groundsills, supported on cypress blocks or brick
piers; usually characterized by a shingle-covered,
moderately steep end-gabled roof; hand-riven
clapboard siding; rooms positioned in a relatively
straight line from the front to the back of the
house; French doors at the front and rear to promote
the flow of air through the house; a porch across the front, commonly without a railing; usually a steep stairway from one end of the porch to a loft above; battened doors; battened shutters on the windows.