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VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURE

The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period may slightly overlap the reign of Queen Victoria, 20 June 1837 22 January 1901. The styles often included interpretations and eclectic revivals of historic styles mixed with the introduction of middle east and Asian influences. The name represents the British and French custom of naming architectural styles for a reigning monarch. Within this naming and classification scheme it follows Georgian architecture and laterRegency architecture, and was succeeded by Edwardian architecture. Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of HanoverGeorge I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United Kingdom, and George IV of the United Kingdomwho reigned in continuous succession from August

e Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style. The period coincides with the Biedermeier style in the German-speaking lands, Federal style in the United States and the French Empire style.[1] Edwardian architecture is the style popular when King Edward VII of the United Kingdom was in power; he reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the architecture style is generally considered to be indicative of the years 1901 to 1914.[1] Edwardian architecture is generally less ornate than high or late Victorian architecture,[2] apart from a subset used for major buildings known asEdwardian Baroque architecture.

The most popular style of architecture prior to the Victorian era was the Greek Revival. This style was used almost exclusively for public buildings where simplicity and dignity were considered the most important attributes. By the 1840s the Greek style was no longer fashionable for a private residence. Its popularity had waned about the time Victoria became Queen. Many early cottages were built as summer residences only, with no insulation, yet the underlying surfaces were of solid construction. Architects and builders often submitted alternate designs for a house where the floor plans were identical, and only the facades varied. But when frame construction came along, houses were built quickly and ornate details were added later. Many early homes had neither kitchens or bathrooms. As is typical of these early homes, additions often house the kitchens and baths. Most of the early homes, especially those built in England, were built of stone, and enhanced with decorative "stone tracery". The number of full-blown Gothic stone mansions was never large. Only the wealthy could afford such homes which required the labors of highly skilled stone carvers. The costly Gothic style was eventually translated into wood, and thousands of "Carpenter Gothic" houses still stand. The Charastic American Carpenter Gothic style is characterized by steep gables and pointed windows. Often the construction was vertical "Board and Batton" which was considered particularly fitting for a Gothic cottage because of its upward tendency. In a wider sense we now apply the term "American Gothic" to all homes of typically Victorian design. These homes mark the real beginning of modern architecture. The homes are planned from the inside out the layout of the rooms and the traffic pattern determines the outward look. Inside they have a happy hide-and-seek quality of surprise. When Gothic came to America and was translated to "Carpenter Gothic", the stone tracery was replaced by wooden Gingerbread. The ornate wooden detail is considered a folk art. Each carpenter had his own ideas and employed his own fanciful designs.

The Victorian architectural period mostly spans the period of roughly 1825-1900. The Victorians drew deeply from history, nature, geometry, theory, and personal inspiration to create their designs. Prior to 1890, designers, though properly trained in the academics of standard architectural systems, still managed to employ their own creative ideas. Early Victorian structures were relatively simple in style, while those built after the Civil War became more complicated. They combined styles as they saw fit. The end result was often a stunning visual effect. The building styles of post-Civil War America were elaborate and flamboyant, very much fueled by new industrial society. Now collectively called "Victorian" the architecture was made up of several main styles. These include Italianate, Second Empire, Stick-Eastlake, and Queen Anne. Generally, Italianate style structures have flat roof lines, corniced eaves, angled bay windows and Corinthian-columned porches. StickEastlake structures often include square bays, flat roof lines and free-style decorations. Queen Annes have a gabled roof, shingled insets, angled bay windows under the gable and on occasion a tower. Contemporary critics accuse the Victorians of needless complexity and clutter. Victorian architecture up to 1870 was thought by some, especially Europeans, to be a failure. This near revulsion by critics was expressed at first only by a few, but as the decade went on, criticism increased. However, this view was obviously not shared by all then or now. A charmed critic writing for the San Francisco Morning Call on April 21, 1887 described San Francisco's Victorian architecture as follows:

"The architecture of San Francisco in our residence streets has no counterpart in the world, and we have no reason to be ashamed of it. It is light, airy and pleasing in style, and is to the architecture of Europe and the Eastern States as Spanish music is to the grand and heavier compositions of Wagner." The latter part of the nineteenth century brought a new attitude toward color. Before then, the houses of the tract builders tended to be painted all one color, usually white, beige or gray. By 1887, many people were painting their houses in lighter, brighter colors. The vibrant colors are one of the more easily identifiable features of Victorian architecture today. The years from 1870 to 1906 produced the bulk of San Francisco's Victorian buildings in which there was much overlapping in style trends. One cause of the seemingly infinite variety of Victorian architecture in Northern California is the abundant coastal redwood. Both the structural members and much of the decoration on San Francisco Victorian homes are redwood, a local material that had many advantages. It was cheap and plentiful; it resisted rot, termites and fire; and it was easily worked into different shapes. Many interiors were done in the grand manner reflecting their owners and builders. As with the exteriors, two general styles prevailed during the period: the Italian or Renaissance style and the medieval or Queen Anne. Interiors of the Renaissance mode included smooth plastered walls often in light colors, marble fireplaces usually with heavy gold mirrors above, elaborate ceiling cornices, elaborate pediments over doors, frescoed ceilings, and chandeliers. French influence was

and early 80's. Italianate interior design had heavily molded , yet graceful door frames and wainscoting that complemented contemporary furniture styles. Door frames of this type disappeared with the dominance of the Queen Anne interior. The shift to the brooding medieval style resulted in dark colorful interiors. Californians at this period closely followed national trends. From about 1895 to 1915, middle-class tastes turned away from the clutter and closed off rooms of the Victorian home to more simple, open, flexible spaces: the living room replaced the parlor. Natural wood furniture and interiors displaced the artificial, upholstered and multi-layered look typical of the Victorian home. At the turn of the nineteenth and into the twentieth century, working-class and middleclass homes reflected contrasting material standards. Today, all over the United States, many homes from the Victorian architectural period still stand and are considered among the most beautifully rustic in almost any neighborhood. Many have been turned into bed and breakfast inns, hotels and some just opened to the public as historic sites.

Typical Characteristics of Victorian houses Bay windows (they stick out) - A window that sticks out of a house, that can have windows on the side of it. Iron Railings Flemish brick bonding Patterns in the brickwork made from coloured bricks Stained glass in doorways and windows. Roofs made of slate. No garage Sash windows (they open by sliding the window up) Dentils - A molding going around a house with rectangle holes in it. Column - A round or square shaped post usually holding up the roof. Dormer - A window that sticks out from the roof that has a roof of its own. Clapboard Siding - Wood siding used on a house Cornice - The piece that runs along were the roof and wall meets Gable - The triangular part at the end of a building formed by the two sides of a sloping roof. Pediment =The piece that comes out from the roof and covers the porch.

Portico -A porch with a roof. Mansard Roof =- roof with two slopes, and often it is flat on top. Transom -A window or panel, usually operable, above a window or door. Turret -A small, skinny tower usually at the corner of a building. Oriel Window: Begins above the ground and heads up. Bay Window: See top of page. Reveal Window: Just sticks out from the wall.

Narrow and Tall Most Victorian houses are narrow, which allowed these impressive beauties to be built on a small amount of land. They were often close to other Victorian homes, usually near the center of town. What these houses lack in width they make up for in height; a typical Victorian is three stories tall and perched on a full-size basement. Stairs Because the Victorian was built to impress, intricate or grand entrances were usually constructed. These stairways usually lead to wrap-around front porches adorned with turned wood or wrought iron railings. Towers and Turrets These unique rooms could be studies, bedrooms or libraries. They give Victorian homes a castle feel and recall the Gothic mansions that inspired early Victorian designs. Because these houses were often three or even four stories tall, these turrets can be quite impressive. Decorative Trim Although the trim was mass-produced, there were several different styles and designs. Everything from Italianate egg-and-dart molding to carved Gothic Revivial fascia can be found on a Victorian home. It's not at all unusual to find Queen Anne, Gothic and Italianate elements all on the same house, as the goal was to create something unique and unusual. According to Victorian design rules, the trim should painted a distinctly different color than the siding for emphasis. In most cases, three to five different colors of paint were used: one for the house, and the rest for the trim.

Bay Windows Large windows, sometimes filled with stained glass or topped with stained glass panels, are a common feature in Victorian houses. These bays can either be walkout versions or have a built-in bench. Asymmetrical House Design Victorian era architects loved the challenge of varied roof lines and asymmetrical designs. The houses were made to be individual and unique. Even if the basic design of a group of houses is the same, you can expect to find unique window styles and architectural details that give each house its own personality. Extras Classic Victorian homes have wrap-around porches with intricate trim and tiny balconies or crow's nests on the upper floors. Some of these porches, balconies and crow's nests were functional, but some were just for show. Nothing was too extravagant for a Victorian home. Finding Victorian Homes Where can you find Victorian-style homes? You can find at least one of two Victorian style homes in most urban areas, but some cities have more than others. The Old West End, a famous neighborhood in Toledo, Ohio, has having the most Victorian style homes in the United States. San Francisco is also known for its beautiful, restored Victorian homes. Savannah, Georgia is a lovelycity to visit and explore, as its many Victorian homes are located on charming squares with interesting gardens and sculptures, making it a fabulous place to visit. If you explore these cities, you will find Victorian bed and breakfasts that are perfect for

Typical Defects in Victorian Buildings Damp: Solid masonry walls allow for water penetration, although it is not always rising damp. However, a lack of a damp proof course, or the failure of the original DPC is commonplace. Slate DPCs become brittle and fracture with the settlement of the walls over time, and bitumen DPCs become friable or are simply squeezed out by the pressure of the brickwork. Furthermore, despite the mass production of bricks, some were still of poor quality; such bricks can be the cause of damp spots appearing halfway up a wall in isolation and with no apparent cause. Lastly, the application of cement render to the exterior of the property can seal in any moisture present in the brickwork, so that any such moisture appears to the internal face of the wall. See our page on damp for more detail. Wall tie failure: The use of cast-iron walls ties where cavity walls are present means that the ties have often rusted through over the years. Furthermore, Victorian builders often used fewer ties than we would use today. Also, some of the aggregates used in mortar in some parts of the country have an electrolytic action when wet, and cause the wall ties to corrode. Failed coursing beams: Another construction technique of the period involved using timber beams as part of the wall structure. These were usually hidden behind snapped headers, and so are not immediately apparent when the wall is viewed externally. Over the years, the timber rots, and the wall begins to sag or bow. Rotten floor joists: As with preceding eras, the ends of the floor joists in Victorian buildings are built into the walls; when the wall becomes damp, the timber rots. Poorly ventilated voids beneath timber ground floors are another cause of such

Cracking around bay windows: A common problem that occurrs with bay windows is that they have often have little in the way of foundations, and so settle at a different rate to the rest of the house. Also, it is common for small trees to be planted in the front gardens of Victorian properties, which draw water from the soil and can cause the bay window to drop. Ordinarily, underpinning can and should be avoided in remedying the problem. Lead pipework: Intially, the pipework in plumbing was of lead, as it is maleable and easy to form into pipes that can then be shaped and bent (useless fact: the Latin for lead is plumbum, which is why plumbers are so called). It is uncommon for the internal plumbing nowadays to be in the original lead, however, although there are frequently sections of the incoming water main that are still in lead, usually where the pipe is embedded in the brickwork below ground level. This is obviously less than perfect, although the inside of the pipe usually has enough limescale build-up that the incoming water never touches the lead itself. Ageing electrical services: Although any electrical wiring will not be original to the building, it will have been installed at any time in the past ninety years or so, and often not all at once. The inferences are obvious. Poorly replaced roof coverings: Slate was commonly used to cover the roofs of Victorian buildings, and it is not uncommon to see roofs where the original slates have been replaced with concrete tiles. These are much heavier than slates, and unless the roof structure has been strengthened to accommodate the tiles, there can be problems with the rafters being over-loaded.

Spalling brickwork: When bricks are wetted by rain, moisture is absorbed into the exposed face of the brick.If a frost follows, the water in the face of the brick freezes and expands, and causes the face of the brick to break away. Victorian bricks can be quite porous, and this tendancy can be exacerbated by the use of incorrect mortar mixes when repointing. Defective windows: Original timber sash windows to Victorian buildings are now of great age. If decoration has not been assiduously carried out to the exterior, or if condensation has not been removed from the internal face of the windows, the timber rots. Another problem is that is was common over the past thirty or forty years to replace single glazed sash windows with double glazed uPVC or aluminium units - and these can now have a detrimental effect on the value of the property, especially if the work has been executed poorly. Some, all or none of these defects may be present in any Victorian property,and other defects besides. If you own a Victorian property and are concerned about any defects present, or if you wish to purchase such a building, please do call us for friendly, professional advice

Victorian decorative arts refers to the style of decorative arts during the Victorian era. Victorian design is widely viewed as having indulged in a grand excess of ornament. The Victorian era is known for its interpretation and eclectic revival of historic styles mixed with the introduction of middle east and Asian influences in furniture, fittings, and Interior decoration. The Arts and Crafts movement, theaesthetic movement, Anglo-Japanese style, and Art Nouveau style have their beginnings in the late Victorian era. Interior decoration and design Interior decoration and interior design of the Victorian era are noted for orderliness and ornamentation. A house from this period was idealistically neatly divided in rooms, with public and private space carefully separated. The Parlor was the most important room in a home and was the showcase for the homeowners; where guests were entertained. A bare room was considered to be in poor taste, so every surface was filled with objects that reflected the owner's interests and aspirations. The dining room was the second-most important room in the house. The sideboard was most often the focal point of the dining room and very ornately decorated. [edit]Walls and ceilings The choice of paint color on the walls in Victorian homes was said to be based on the use of the room. Hallways that were in the entry hall and the stair halls were painted a somber gray so as not to compete with the surrounding rooms. Most people marbleized the walls or the woodwork. Also on walls it was common to score into wet plaster to make it resemble blocks of stone. Finishes that were

choice and placement. The theory of harmony by analogy was to use the colors that lay next to each other on the color wheel. And the second was the harmony by contrast that was to use the colors that were opposite of one another on the color wheel. There was a favored tripartite wall that included adado or wainscoting at the bottom, a field in the middle and a frieze or cornice at the top. This was popular until the 19th century. Frederick Walton who created linoleum in 1863 created the process for embossing semi-liquid linseed oil, backed with waterproofed paper or canvas. It was called Lincrustaand was applied much like wallpaper. This process made it easy to then go over the oil and make it resemble wood, leather or different types of leather. On the ceilings that were 814 feet the color was tinted three shades lighter than the color that was on the walls and usually had a high quality of ornamentation because decorated ceilings were favored. [edit]Furniture There was not one dominant style of furniture in the Victorian period. Designers rather used and modified many styles taken from various time periods in history like Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, Neoclassical and others. The Gothic and Rococo revival style were the most common styles to be seen in furniture during this time in history. [edit]Wallpaper Wallpaper was often made in elaborate floral patterns with primary colors in the backgrounds (red, blue and yellow,) and overprinted with colours of cream and tan. This was followed by Gothic art inspired papers in earth tones with stylized

and fabrics during the latter half of the Victorian period. Morris was inspired and used Medieval and Gothic tapestries in his work. Embossed paper were used on ceilings and friezes.

1. Height Victorian homes are often taller than similar sized homes of other styles spreading upward rather than outward. This gives them a grand sense when you look at them, and it goes a long way to set themselves apart from other houses in the same area. Here are a few photos of three-story Victorian buildings to give you a better idea of what I mean. Credit: Slideshow Bruce (via Flickr) Credit: Alaskan Dude (via Flickr) Credit: yorkville (via Flickr) 2. Turrets Heres where that whimsical style I mentioned comes in. Many Victorian buildings have turrets in other words, towers. And really, whats not to love about towers? They dont have to be extreme. Some are round. Others arent. Here are a couple of examples of Victorian homes with turrets to give you an idea of their variety. Credit: marada (via Flickr) Credit: Muffet (via Flickr) 3. Millwork The millwork on many Victorian homes sometimes takes my breath away. You just dont see this kind of ornamental effort go into new homes as much anymore. Millwork is the decorative woodwork youll find on the home or inside it. Have you ever seen old homes with gorgeous wooden doors, staircases, and builtin shelving? Those are examples. So are baseboards, fireplace mantles, and the

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