I have mostly seen shotgun houses in Louisiana but they exist in several states including Texas. Most of the people I have talked to about these houses associate them with slavery and the poor. Surprisingly enough this style house was a popular style house for the middle class. The shotgun house became a symbol of poverty in the mid-20th century. A longstanding theory is that the style can be traced from Africa to Haitian influences with house design in New Orleans. There aren’t many of these houses left today that have not been renovated. But every once in a while, you come across a small piece of history.