Queen Anne ArchitectureAndThe Victorian Age
Built from 1880-1910 the style actually has nothing to do with “Queen Anne” as she ruled Britannia in the early 1700’s. A popular novel about serving in Queen Anne’s army was published in the 1850’s and some scholars believe that because of the book, anything that looked stately and British, including house types, became mistakenly known as Queen Anne. The style was popularized by English architects including Richard Norman Shaw and typically features a steep pitched roof, usually with a dominant front facing gable. Towers are common but not found on every example. Look for patterned shingles, cut away bay windows and asymmetrical facades. A front porch that extends along one or both walls a full story tall is typical. The one seen above is in Reedville, Virginia and the porch is actually on the right side of the house where there's another entrance. The entrance you're looking at may have been for the servants.
The style used older Medieval models as a jump off point or the basic design. Monochromatic masonry Queen Anne’s dominate in the UK while half timbering and patterned masonry shows up in the stateside interpretations. Like most styles of it’s time, Queen Anne popularity was spread across the country through the use of pattern books and architectural magazines. The railroad continued to influence architecture by providing a way to transport pre-cut detailing including spindles and other forms of decorative trim. What we now call “gingerbread.” As time passed, the basic forms of Queen Anne and the other Victorians were eventually diluted and mutated. With the passing of the Victorians the evolution of house types gradually eased us into the Colonial Revival of the early 1900’s. Here's an overview of the age that influenced the
Architecture of Queen Anne Victorians
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