Victorian House Styles and Examples

Victorian houses are architecturally commonly referred to as the Victorian Style but this "style" is really a period in history. The Victorian era roughly corresponds to the time when Queen Victoria ruled Britain (1837 to 1901). During this time, industrialization brought many innovations in architecture. There is a wide variety of Victorian styles, each with its own distinctive features.

Types of Victorian Styles Include: Second Empire, Queen Anne, Stick, Shingle, and Richardsonian Romanesque.

How to Spot a Victorian

1. Steeply pitched roof of irregular shape, usually with dominant front-facing gable
2. Textured shingles (and/or other devices) to avoid smooth-walled appearance
3. Partial or full-width asymmetrical porch, usually one story high and extended along one or both side walls
4. Asymmetrical facade

Victorian House Books and Magazines.

Resource No. 492

America's Painted Ladies

Elizabeth Pomada

Now, the long-awaited companion to Painted Ladies, Daughters of Painted Ladies, and Painted Ladies Revisited is available in paperback. Presents a dazzling orgy of Victoriana inside and out with more than 400 color photographs of Painted Ladies across the country.

Resource No. 497

In the Victorian Style

Randolph Delehanty

San Francisco is famous for its distinctive and well-preserved Victorian architecture. Victorian architectural historian and longtime SF resident Randolph Delehanty and photographer Richard Sexton provide a pictorial and historical overview of this timeless look.

Resource No. 495

Late Victorian Interiors and Interior Details

William Tuthill

The first high-quality reprint of a rare guide, this reproduction of an 1882 publication features fifty-two plates of original interior designs. Author William B. Tuthill (1855–1929) is best known as the architect of Carnegie Hall; he also lectured at Columbia University, was a founder of the Architectural League of New York, and served on the Art Commission of Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition

Resource No. 491

Melissa & Doug Classic Heirloom Victorian Doll House

Melissa and Doug

Made using the highest quality materials, this is the ultimate doll house.

Resource No. 493

The Queen Anne House

Janet Foster

Queen Anne–style houses are arguably the most charming and picturesque of all Victorians. In this first-ever book on the American Queen Anne style, noted preservationist Janet W. Foster presents a thoughtful recognition of these houses’ place in the history of American architecture.

Resource No. 923

Victorian City and Country Houses

Geo E. Woodward

The widespread interest in constructing and restoring Victorian homes makes this a must-have volume for today's builders, homeowners, architects, and preservationists. It offers an abundance of authentic, finely detailed plans and designs for a variety of Victorian residences.

Resource No. 494

The Victorian House Book

Robin Guild

Historical information plus design ideas and advice for a Victorian vintage home.

Resource No. 490

The Victorian House Coloring Book

Kristin Helberg

The Victorian House Coloring Book invites children and colorists to re-create the furnishings, color schemes, and rich decorations of a lovely Victorian home.

Resource No. 489

Victorian House Designs in Authentic Full Color

Blanche Cirker

Exquisitely detailed, exceptionally handsome designs for an enormous variety of attractive city dwellings, spacious suburban and country homes, charming "cottages" and other structures — all accompanied by perspective views and floor plans with measurements. Invaluable to architects, home restorers, and preservationists; of immense interest to lovers of Victorian architecture

Resource No. 488

Victorian House Style Handbook

Linda Osband

The latest title in the successful and well established House Style series. This pocket source book is bursting with images of original and well restored Victorian features, making it the ideal handy reference for the home owner. The Victorian House Style Sourcebook is perfect for trips to the architectural salvage yard or DIY store to identify authentic styles and colors, or simply to dip into to enjoy the best of Victorian design.

Resource No. 496

Victorian Houses: A Treasury of Lesser-Known Examples (Dover Architecture)

Edmund V. Gillon Jr.

Edmund Gillon has photographed and Clay Lancaster commented on 116 remarkable but lesser-known Victorian American homes. From Nova Scotia to Geneva, New York to Cape May, these rarely appreciated dwellings offer some of the best 19th-century architecture. Includes row houses, cottages, farms, summer homes.

Resource No. 924

Victorian Wooden and Brick Houses with Details

A. J. Bicknell & Co.

This vintage volume offers a treasure trove of floor plans, elevations, and details of residences and public buildings. Artists, architects, and historians alike will find it an endless source of inspiration.