The Harris House, called the "Butterfly House" due to its sharply angled roof structure is home of Anderson and Ora Lee Harris. The house has a large front porch formed by the dramatic roof.

Mrs. Harris was handicapped, so the house had to be specially designed to accommodate a wheelchair. The doorways in the home are wide and easily accessible, with a wheelchair ramp leading to the front door. In the bathroom are fixtures placed within a wheelchair-bound person’s reach.

The house is also designed to have several energy/cost efficient features. The ventilation allows the house to be heated and cooled as inexpensively as possible. The house is heated by a wood-burning stove located in a central area. Vents are located near the roof of the house which may be opened to allow for air circulation in the warmer months, or shut in the winter months to trap hot air inside the house. A huge fan located in the rear of the house pulls air throughout the central living area.

The roof is angled to collect rainwater into a cistern. This gray water system is used to wash clothes and flush toilets. The roof of the house is clad in tin, with tin and salvaged 105 year-old wood constituting the walls.

Butterfly (Harris) House
Mason's Bend, AL
1996-1997 2nd Year Project

©Timothy Hursley
©Timothy Hursley
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