Britt  House.  6837 Baldwin Street. Circa 1880. Frame Vernacular.

The modest frame house was built in the 1880s by Gilmore Britt.  Viewing from the intersection of Baldwin and Combs, you may note that house has an atypical orientation to the street when compared to other house in the Historic District. The front facade of the house faces west, and not Baldwin Street.  The house was originally constructed to face Combs Street; in later years it was re-oriented on the lot.  The house appears to have been originally constructed as a Hall-Parlor house type. 

Hall-Parlor house types consists of two unequal rooms.  Entry is typically into the larger of the rooms, which is defined as the hall (not hallway).  Hall rooms served multiple functions from gathering places, dining, sleeping and labor. Hall and Parlor house types generally have gabled roofs with exterior end chimneys.  This house type is one of the earliest found in America. In the southern United States, this type was constructed until the 1930s, especially in rural locations. This type was easily expandable and adaptable. Today, they are usually seen with multiple additions to the original core. 

Credits and Sources:

1987 National Register Nomination