What makes a house a Victorian house?

What makes a house a Victorian house?

In Great Britain and former British colonies, a Victorian house generally means any house built during the reign of Queen Victoria. In the United States, Victorian house styles include Second Empire, Queen Anne, Stick (and Eastlake Stick), Shingle, Richardsonian Romanesque, and others.

What were houses like in the Victorian times?

The houses were cheap, most had between two and four rooms – one or two rooms downstairs, and one or two rooms upstairs, but Victorian families were big with perhaps four or five children. There was no water, and no toilet. A whole street (sometimes more) would have to share a couple of toilets and a pump.

How can you tell if a house is Victorian?

Some distinctive characteristics of a Victorian property are:

1. High pitched roofs.
2. Ornate gable trim.
3. Bay windows.
4. Two over two panel sash windows (supported with a single astragal bar on each sash)
5. Sash window horns.
6. Decorative brickwork (often in red)
7. Stained glass windows.

Why are Victorian houses so big?

These expedients made it possible to build houses faster, cheaper, and also larger and more elaborate than ever before. Predictably, putting such once-unattainable luxuries within reach of millions quickly resulted in a popular mania for large, ornately decorated houses.

Where are Victorian houses most popular?

Old Louisville in Kentucky has the highest concentration of restored Victorian homes in the US. Originally called the Southern Extension, Old Louisville was built in the 1870s as a suburb, which was 48 city blocks long and filled with Victorian mansions.

Why do Victorian houses have names?

By the 1860s, workers could commute by train. The new suburban houses were ripe for naming because numbering could only be sequential once all the houses in a street had been built. Stately homes are named after the local village, so all the elements of British place-names became viable candidates for house names.

Are Victorian houses dark?

Unlike modern living rooms, dining rooms, and family rooms that are bright and open, Victorian common rooms were small, closed off, and often times dark because heat could escape easily through large windows.

How many types of Victorian style houses are there?

10 Types of Victorian Style Houses. 1 1. Gothic Revival Style. The Gothic Revival style homes were first introduced in the 1880s. They are the classic representations of romantic and 2 2. Folk Victorian Style. 3 3. Shingle Style. 4 4. Queen Anne Style. 5 5. Octagon Style.

What does a European style house look like?

European House Plans. European house plans have an Old World or European look that’s not specific to any one style like Spanish or Mediterranean or French. European style home plans often use brick or stone and include high steeply pitched roofs, tall windows often with shutters, and traditional ornamental details like pediments and keystones.

What is a Folk Victorian style house?

The Folk Victorian style house is the most common type of home found in the US. This style gained popularity in the 19th century and was considered as a more affordable alternative to Queen Anne style of design.

Why are Victorian houses so popular?

This was the time when industrialization introduced many new architectural innovations. In the US, Victorian houses didn’t take root until the 19th century, but are still highly popular to this day. Victorian houses are typically made from stone, wood, and brick.