The qualities that make up a Victorian home.

The Victorian era began in 1837 when Queen Victoria ascended the throne, and ended, along with her reign in 1901. Many legacies have remained but few more noted than the treasure of Victorian architecture.

One quality of Victorian homes is a great deal of ornamentation, with each style using its own form. Three distinct styles are Gothic Revival- elaborate bargeboards and gingerbread, Italianate- carved lintels and brackets, and Queen Anne- steep gabled roofs, shingled walls and spindlework.

Another Victorian quality is the abundance of extensions such as wraparound porches with extensive carvings, expansive bay windows, and even some with towers and turrets.

The last essential quality, and probably the most important, is the use of whimsical imagination. The home must evoke childhood memories of fantasy and make believe. This of course is accomplished through ornamentation and color schemes. The North East used more subdued color themes than the West Coast.

A. J. Downing, a landscaper and architectural tastemaker, played a key role in encouraging the Victorian type of home in the eastcoast. His books: Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening Adapted to North America, Cottage Residences and The Architecture of Country Houses, where greatly received and used as references for the American builder.