In this month’s Real Estates we look at Victorians–homes classified by an era and not an architectural style. The Victorian period spans from 1840 to 1900, and within that time, many styles and trends overlapped each other, causing this type of home to be very eclectic.
Most experts give residential Victorian architecture the following names: Gothic Revival, Folk Victorian, Italianate, Second Empire, Renaissance Revival, Queen Anne, Stick Style, Richardsonian Romanesque, and Shingle Style.
Location Comparison of the Victorian
Edgewater, MD
This Edgewater Victorian built in 1998 has five bedrooms, three full baths, a total square footage of 3,100, and is situated on 1.026 waterfront acres. It is an active listing with an asking price of $1,295,000.*
LISTING AGENT: John Gough/Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. 410-266-5505
Freeland, MD
This Freeland Victorian built in 2008 has five bedrooms, four full baths, a total square footage of 4,000, and is situated on 1.4 acres. It is an active listing with an asking price of $835,000. *
LISTING AGENT: Terry Ewalt/RE/MAX American Dream. 410-561-0020
Chevy Chase, MD
This Chevy Chase Victorian built in 1882 has five bedrooms, two full and one half baths, a total square footage of 4,000, and is situated on .2 acres. It sold at $1,575,000 in August 2008, $20,000 under its asking price.
LISTING AGENT: Guy-Didier Godat/Evers & Co. Real Estate. 202-361-4663
“Victorian houses don’t share a single style, but instead, share a historical period. During this time, advances in building technology and transportation made possible innovations that transformed the appearance of houses. Mass production and trans-continental rail freight distributed pre-cut wood building trim around the country,” says Madlen Simon, AIA, associate professor and program director for the school or architecture planning and preservation at the University of Maryland.
Victorian houses have a variety of decorative styles and features from romantic arches and pointed windows to playful details like “gingerbread” trim.The Medieval influences on Victorian homes can be seen in the castle-like elements like towers, turrets, and rambling exteriors. “Victorian houses also share a romantic sensibility that often found expression in asymmetrical house plans and fanciful elements,” explains Simon.
Glossary of Terms for Victorian Style Homes:
Gothic Revival:“Pointed Style” homes built in the 1840s that borrowed decorative elements from churches and town halls built in Europe between 1100 and 1500. Architects tried to capture the romance of the medieval society.
Folk Victorian: A modest version of Gothic Revival without elaborate trim made in mass production.
Italianate: Inspired by country villas of northern Italy and built from 1860 to 1880, these Victorians have angled bay windows and large eave brackets under the roof. The exterior wood is scored and painted to resemble stone.
Second Empire or Mansard Style: Popular during the same period as the Italianate and inspired by French architecture, it is distinguished by the mansard roof, which is heavily decorated with dormer windows, colored tile patterns and iron cresting.
Renaissance Revival: A decorative version of the Second Empire.
Queen Anne: Elaborate Victorian styles with towers, turrets, and wrap-around porches.
Victorian Stick Architecture: Trusses and stickwork are reminiscent of medieval building techniques on these relatively generic Victorian buildings.
Richardsonian Romanesque: Constructed of stone, these homes resemble small castles.
Shingle Style: These Victorians were often built in coastal areas and resemble the grand estates of the past.
The Victorian homes are still popular today for many homeowners because they remain a reflection of the past glory of a historical period in American history. “Victorian houses are found in towns and cities across the country. The Romantic sensibility stirs people’s imaginations. The variety afforded by the range of trim styles and colors gives individual character to each family’s home in a neighborhood of similar houses,” says Simon.
Jennifer K. Dansicker is Special Projects Editor for ChesapeakeHome.
These listings were complied with the help of Lynn Summerlin Hoeckel, Residential Agent for Yerman Witman Gaines and Garceau Realty (410-583-0400 or lsummerlin@ywggrealty.com
