Architecture doesn’t merely add beauty and interest to its surroundings; it also provides beholders with a window into the past. Just as contemporary-style homes speak to our desire to lead informal, convenient lives, a Victorian house always has a story to share about the mid-to-late 19th century and early 1900s. This distinct architectural style is highly sought after and for a good reason. You’ll learn in this article, Victorian Style Architecture: The History & Features of a Victorian Home, and what makes this type of architecture so distinct.
What is a Victorian Style House?
A Victorian home is not a single style of architecture, rather it’s a representation of a specific era of the late 19th century. The Victorian style reached the height of its popularity during the “Victorian Era” which encompassed the reign of Queen Victoria of Great Britain from 1837 to 1901.
The Victorian era was a time of rapid change. Technologies were advancing, advancements in transportation made building materials more accessible, and the middle class was growing both larger and wealthier. Victorians built their homes to reflect the new world and showcase their new affluence.
This popular house style is easily distinguishable as Victorian homes are known for their colorful facades, pitched roofs, ornate trim, and a broad range of architectural features.
Victorian Homes Interior Design Features
- Intricate wood paneling trim
- Stained glass windows
- Large staircases
- Hardwood floors
- Ornate tile fireplaces
- Floor plans feature many smaller rooms, each designated for specific purposes such as formal and informal entertaining.
Victorian Homes Exterior Design Features
- Bright and unique exterior colors
- Steeply pitched roofs
- Heavy ornamentation that might include lavish mill or ironwork, and intricate trim around entryways, windows, and rooflines
- Front porches
- Unique windows that were decorative in shapes and sizes including stained glass, eyebrow, porthole, cameo, arched and multi-pane windows.
- Tall features such as octagonal towers, turrets, columns, and highly placed windows
- Dormers
Andrew Jackson Downing
Andrew Jackson Downing was an American landscape designer, horticulturist, writer, prominent advocate of the Gothic Revival in the United States, and editor of The Horticulturist magazine. Downing is considered to be the founder of American landscape architecture. Here’s what he had to say about the design of a Victorian Home.
“Among the first principles of utility in building or designing a cottage, we may state the following:
The principal entrance or front door should never open directly into an apartment of any kind but always into a porch, lobby or entry of some kind. Such a passage not only protects the apartment against sudden draughts of air but also protects the privacy and dignity of the inmates.
The roof should always be steep enough to carry off the snow freely, and there should be [a] means of ventilation provided, in order to secure comfort in the upper sleeping apartments.
The level of the first floor should never be less than one foot above the level of the surrounding surface of the ground to secure dryness.
In all small cottages the kitchen should always be on the first floor, because, in such dwellings, the kitchen must be kept under the eye of the mistress…”
Architecture of Country Houses: Andrew Jackson Downing, 1852
Different House Styles from the Victorian Era
Queen Anne Style 1830 – 1870
The Queen Anne Style Home is theoretically a revival of the style du jour during the actual reign of Queen Anne (1702 to 1714), but there is very little resemblance in practice. Queen Anne homes are the quintessential Victorian home. These homes are asymmetrical, two or three (or more) stories tall, have steeply pitched roofs, and feature large wrap-around porches. The Queen Annes are often adorned with differing wall textures and ornate trim which gives them the “gingerbread” effect commonly associated with Victorian homes. They are typically painted in a variety of accent colors. Some Queen Anne homes also have octagonal towers (topped with a round pointed roof) and ornate bay windows. In short, nothing about these homes is subtle.
” The J. T. Jones House The J.T. Jones House, or as it’s often called, “The Gingerbread House,” was built in 1899 by a cotton broker The home is an excellent example of the Queen Anne style of Victorian architecture. A New York artist was commissioned to carve a marble mantle for the main parlor when the house was built.” The JT Jones 601, rue Ferry Decatur, Alabama 35601
The John P. Donnelly House, in Mt Dora, Florida, was built in 1893. It’s an incredible Queen Anne. Donnelly was the founder of the local yacht club and served as the city’s first mayor in 1910. The house is a George F. Barber design coming from his design book “The Cottage Souvenir No. 2”.
Gothic Revival Victorian: 1840-1880
The home you picture when a story begins with, “On a dark and stormy night” is probably a Gothic Revival Victorian. Gothic revival homes have steeply pitched roofs and pointed arch windows with decorative tracery. Gables and dormers mark these homes. Steeply pitched roofs, patterned shingles, and lancet windows provide a distinct look to the home’s exterior. This style of architecture became popular in the mid-19th century, but many Gothic revival homes are still around today. Inside these homes, you’ll find tall, narrow rooms with large stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings with elaborate woodwork.
Folk Victorian: 1850
The Folk Victorian Style is a more basic version of Victorian architecture and the most common version in the US. Unlike the Queen Anne style, Folk Victorian houses tend to have square, symmetrical shapes with el-shaped projections. But they share characteristics such as a prominent front-facing gable, porches with spindlework, brackets under the eaves, and ornate trim. The architects tended to use cheaper materials to create an embellished version of the Victorian home for low-budget families.
Italianate Style Victorian: 1840-1890
The Italianate Style homes were popularized first, beginning in the 1840s and lasting until after the Civil War, drawing inspiration from 16th-century Italian villas. The main structures were fairly simple. They had rectangular-shaped houses with low-sloping or sometimes flat roofs that protrude quite far out from the exterior walls. The windows are tall and skinny, often rounded at the top, and there is trim, trim, and more trim. Some Italianate homes even feature a square tower or cupola that rises out of the center of the house, adding to the Tuscan villa feel.
Eastlake Victorian: 1860-1890
Inspired by designer Charles Eastlake, the Eastlake Victorian is a calmer version of Victorian homes. The ornamentations are airier and lighter, driven by Eastlake’s focus on moving away from ostentatious designs in favor of visually appealing items of which creators – artisans and machines alike – were proud.
The Eastlake-Stick Style has steeply pitched and intersecting gable roofs covering a complex or irregular plan. Roof eaves project outward and are supported by large brackets or lookouts. Often the gable end or apex has exposed decorative framing, such as embellished trusses.
The Eastlake-Shingle Style is sometimes referred to
as the “seaside” style. Basically, the Shingle style is the Queen Anne style wrapped in cedar shingles. It’s few decorative details tended to enhance the irregularity of the construction, with the shingles tying the diverse forms together. Irregular rooflines were common.
Octagonal Style Victorian: 1850-1870
Unique even among Victorian homes, Octagonal Victorians are easily identified by their – you guessed it – octagonal shape. These eight-sided homes tend to have wide overhanging eaves, low-hipped roofs, and a partial or full wraparound porch.
Second Empire Style: 1865-1880
The Second Empire Style, also called Napoleon III, originated in France. A mansard roof (with two slopes on all sides and the lower slope steeper than the upper one), corner turrets, and ornate trim mark the Second Empire-style houses of the Victorian era. Characteristic elements include tower-like structures on each side of the main entrance and decorative window frames in the “acorn” shape. Decorative molding along the eaves and around windows and doors will often feature intricate geometric patterns or flower motifs. The Second Empire style was most popular from the 1860s to the late 1880s. It can be found in many cities across the United States today, although they are more likely to be modified with modern features.
Richardsonian Romanesque: 1880-1890
Stately and castle-like, the Richardsonian Romanesque is named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson. They are characterized by heavy, rock-faced stone, round masonry arches, contrasting colors, transom windows arranged in ribbon-like patterns, square towers, and sparse fenestration. They’re sturdy but retain the whimsical nature of Victorian homes with their asymmetrical façades. Perhaps the most well-known example of this style isn’t a home, but rather, Trinity Church in Boston
In closing, I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, Victorian Style Architecture: The History & Features of a Victorian Home. Hopefully, you’ve learned a thing or two. I know I certainly have. I would invite you to leave a comment below, and I will place some pins at the end. Feel free to share them with your friends if you’d like.
‘Till next time …. Joy
Credits:
I did a lot of research on this topic so credit and thank yous go out in many directions:
The Spruce / Wikipedia / Quicken Loans / House Beautiful / Architectural Digest / Pinterest / Pretty Old Places
