Victorian architecture is a series of
architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
(1837–1901), called the
Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian were used in construction. However, many elements of what is typically termed "Victorian" architecture did not become popular until later in Victoria's reign, roughly from 1850 and later. The styles often included interpretations and
eclectic
Eclectic may refer to:
Music
* ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014
* ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996
* Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act
* Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...
revivals
Revival most often refers to:
*Resuscitation of a person
*Language revival of an extinct language
* Revival (sports team) of a defunct team
*Revival (television) of a former television series
*Revival (theatre), a new production of a previously pr ...
of historic styles ''(see
Historicism
Historicism is an approach to explaining the existence of phenomena, especially social and cultural practices (including ideas and beliefs), by studying their history, that is, by studying the process by which they came about. The term is widely ...
)''. The name represents the British and French custom of naming architectural styles for a reigning monarch. Within this naming and classification scheme, it followed
Georgian architecture and later
Regency architecture, and was succeeded by
Edwardian architecture.
Although Victoria did not reign over the United States, the term is often used for American styles and buildings from the same period, as well as those from the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
.
Victorian architecture in the United Kingdom
Gothic Revival
During the early 19th century, the romantic
medieval Gothic Revival style was developed as a reaction to the
symmetry of
Palladianism, and such buildings as
Fonthill Abbey were built.
By the middle of the 19th century, as a result of new
technology
Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, scien ...
, construction was able to incorporate metal materials as building components. Structures were erected with
cast iron and
wrought iron frames. However, due to being weak in tension, these materials were effectively phased out in place for more structurally sound
steel. One of the greatest exponents of iron frame construction was
Joseph Paxton, architect of
the Crystal Palace. Paxton also continued to build such houses as
Mentmore Towers
Mentmore Towers, historically known simply as "Mentmore", is a 19th-century English country house built between 1852 and 1854 for the Rothschild family in the village of Mentmore in Buckinghamshire. Sir Joseph Paxton and his son-in-law, George ...
, in the still popular
English Renaissance styles. New methods of construction were developed in this era of prosperity, but ironically the architectural styles, as developed by such architects as
Augustus Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...
, were typically retrospective.
In
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, the architect
Alexander Thomson who practised in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
was a pioneer of the use of
cast iron and
steel for commercial buildings, blending neo-classical conventionality with Egyptian and Oriental themes to produce many truly original structures. Other notable Scottish architects of this period are
Archibald Simpson
Archibald Simpson (4 May 1790 – 23 March 1847) was a Scottish architect, who along with his rival John Smith, is regarded as having fashioned the character of Aberdeen as "The Granite City".Simpson, William Douglas, (1947) ''The Archibald S ...
and
Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, whose stylistically varied work can be seen in the
architecture of Aberdeen.
While Scottish architects pioneered this style it soon spread right across the United Kingdom and remained popular for another forty years. Its architectural value in preserving and reinventing the past is significant. Its influences were diverse but the Scottish architects who practiced it were inspired by unique ways to blend architecture, purpose, and everyday life in a meaningful way.
Other Revival styles
*
Jacobethan (1830–1870; the precursor to the
British Queen Anne Revival
British Queen Anne Revival architecture, also known as Domestic Revival, is a style of building using red brick, white woodwork, and an eclectic mixture of decorative features, that became popular in the 1870s, both for houses and for larger bui ...
style)
*
Renaissance Revival (1840–1890)
*
Neo-Grec (1845–1865)
*
Romanesque Revival
*
Second Empire (1855–1880; originated in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
)
*
British Queen Anne Revival
British Queen Anne Revival architecture, also known as Domestic Revival, is a style of building using red brick, white woodwork, and an eclectic mixture of decorative features, that became popular in the 1870s, both for houses and for larger bui ...
(1870–1910)
*
Scots Baronial (predominantly Scotland)
* British
Arts and Crafts movement (1880–1910)
Some styles, while not uniquely Victorian, are strongly associated with the 19th century owing to the large number of examples that were erected during that period:
*
Italianate
*
Neoclassical
File:Houses of Parliament.jpg, Palace of Westminster, Neo-Gothic completed in 1870. Designed by Sir Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also respon ...
and Augustus Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...
File:Royal Albert Hall, London - Nov 2012.jpg, Royal Albert Hall, London
File:Victoria Clock Tower, Liverpool University - geograph.org.uk - 374422.jpg, The "Red Brick" Victoria Building at the University of Liverpool, completed in 1893 in Gothic Revival style. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse
File:The Oval Pavilion.jpg, The Victorian Pavilion at The Oval cricket ground in London
File:Art&Science.jpg, Victorian School of Art and Science at Stroud, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of ...
File:HardwickHouseEstate.jpg, House on the Hardwick House estate near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include ...
File:Manchester town hall.jpg, Manchester Town Hall
File:The John Rylands Library, Deansgate, Manchester.jpg, The John Rylands Library in Manchester
File:BirminghamUniversityChancellorsCourt.jpg, The Aston Webb building at the University of Birmingham, UK
File:Birmingham - Lawcourt 2.JPG, Victoria Law Courts, Birmingham, UK
File:University of Glasgow Gilbert Scott Building - Feb 2008-2.jpg, The Gilbert Scott Building of the University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
, as viewed from Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
. An example of the Gothic Revival style
File:North of Scotland Bank, 5 Castle Street, Aberdeen, Archibald Simpson, 1839-42.jpg, North of Scotland Bank in Aberdeen by Archibald Simpson
Archibald Simpson (4 May 1790 – 23 March 1847) was a Scottish architect, who along with his rival John Smith, is regarded as having fashioned the character of Aberdeen as "The Granite City".Simpson, William Douglas, (1947) ''The Archibald S ...
1839–42
File:Balmoral Castle.jpg, Balmoral Castle, completely rebuilt for Queen Victoria, an example of the Scots Baronial style
File:Walsall Victorian Arcade.JPG, Walsall Victorian Arcade, UK
File:Barclay's Bank building, Sutton (Surrey), Greater London 03.jpg, Barclays Bank building, Sutton, Greater London
File:Bridge III.jpg, Forth Rail Bridge, Firth of Forth, near Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
File:Somerville College.jpg, Somerville College, Oxford, UK
International spread of Victorian styles
During the 18th century, a few English architects emigrated to the colonies, but as the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
became firmly established during the 19th century, many architects emigrated at the start of their careers. Some chose the United States, and others went to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Normally, they applied architectural styles that were fashionable when they left England. By the latter half of the century, however, improving transport and communications meant that even remote parts of the Empire had access to publications such as the magazine ''
The Builder'', which helped colonial architects keep informed about current fashion. Thus, the influence of English architecture spread across the world. Several prominent architects produced English-derived designs around the world, including
William Butterfield (
St Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide) and
Jacob Wrey Mould
Jacob Wrey Mould (7 August 1825 – 14 June 1886) was a British architect, illustrator, linguist and musician, noted for his contributions to the design and construction of New York City's Central Park. He was "instrumental" in bringing the Brit ...
(Chief Architect of Public Works in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
).
Australia
The Victorian period flourished in Australia and is generally recognised as being from 1840 to 1890, which saw a
gold rush and population boom during the 1880s in the states of Victoria and New South Wales. There were fifteen styles that predominated:
The Arts and Crafts style and Queen Anne style are considered to be part of the
Federation Period, from 1890 to 1915.
File:Royal exhibition building tulips straight.jpg, Melbourne's world heritage Royal Exhibition Building, built in 1880 (Free Classical)
File:General Post Office, Sydney.jpg, General Post Office, Sydney
The General Post Office (abbreviation GPO, commonly known as the Sydney GPO) is a heritage- listed landmark building located in Martin Place, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The original building was constructed in two stages beginning in ...
, in the Free Classical style (1891)
File:The Hotel Windsor, Melbourne, Australia.jpg, Hotel Windsor, 1885
File:St Peters Cathedral.JPG, St Peters Cathedral, Adelaide, South Australia (Gothic Revival)
File:SydneyTownHall gobeirne.jpg, Sydney Town Hall, in Second Empire style
File:Sydney (AU), Queen Victoria Building -- 2019 -- 3580.jpg, Queen Victoria Building in Romanesque style (1898)
File:South Melbourne Townhall.jpg, South Melbourne Town Hall in Second Empire style
File:StMarysSydneyCathedral1.jpg, St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, in Victorian Gothic architecture (1882)
File:York Street, Sydney.jpg, Victorian Mannerist architecture lining a street in Sydney
File:Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Australia.jpg, Princess Theatre, Melbourne
File:Vic State Library Facade Pano,19.07.06.JPG, State Library of Victoria of the Academic Classical style (1870)
File:OIC adelaide north terrace university bldg.jpg, Brookman Hall, UniSA City East Campus, Adelaide, South Australia
File:(1)Italianate home Dutruc Street Randwick-1.jpg, Italianate home in Randwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Ra ...
File:(1) Nichols Street Homes.JPG, Filigree style terraces in Surry Hills with ornate iron-wrought detailing
File:Goodrest corner leopold and domain road south yarra.jpg, Second Empire and Filigree residence in South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a popu ...
Hong Kong
Western influence in architecture was strong when
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
was a
British colony
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...
. Victorian architecture in Hong Kong:
File:St Andrew's Church 2017.jpg, St. Andrew's Church
File:St John Cathedral Hong Kong.jpg, St. John's Cathedral
File:1881 Heritage Overview 201108.jpg, Former Marine Police Headquarters (now officially named as '1881 Heritage
Events
January–March
* January 1– 24 – Siege of Geok Tepe: Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeat the Turkomans.
* January 13 – War of the Pacific – Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos: The C ...
', which is a hotel and a shopping mall)
Ireland
Georgian architecture is more prominent in Ireland than Victorian architecture. The cities of Dublin, Limerick, and Cork are famously dominated by
Georgian squares and
terraces. Though Victorian architecture flourished in certain quarters. Particularly around Dublin's
Wicklow Street and Upper
Baggot Street and in the suburbs of
Rathmines
Rathmines () is an affluent inner suburb on the Southside of Dublin in Ireland. It lies three kilometres south of the city centre. It begins at the southern side of the Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to t ...
,
Ranelagh,
Rathgar,
Rathfarnham, and
Terenure. The colourful
Italianate buildings of
Cobh are excellent examples of the regional Victorian style in Ireland. Further examples of Victorian architecture in the country include Dublin's
George's Street Arcade
George's Street Arcade is a shopping centre on South Great George's Street in Dublin. It is a Victorian style red-bricked indoor market of stalls and stores. It opened in 1881 as the South City Markets.
History
The first purpose-built Victor ...
, the
Royal City of Dublin Hospital on Baggot Street and the
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital on Adelaide Road.
File:Cobh-Cathedral-West-Side-2012.JPG, A Victorian terrace in Cobh known as the "deck of cards"
File:South Great George's Street Dublin.jpg, Victorian shops and cafes, including the George's Street Arcade
George's Street Arcade is a shopping centre on South Great George's Street in Dublin. It is a Victorian style red-bricked indoor market of stalls and stores. It opened in 1881 as the South City Markets.
History
The first purpose-built Victor ...
, Dublin D02
File:Baggot Street Upper, Dublin.jpg, Victorian Upper Baggot Street, Dublin D02
File:D6W pillar box.jpg, Victorian terraced houses in Dublin D6W
File:Rathmines Road.jpg, Rathmines Clock Tower, Rathmines, Dublin D06
Sri Lanka
During the British colonial period of British Ceylon:
Sri Lanka Law College
Sri Lanka Law College (abbreviated as SLLC), formerly known as Ceylon Law College, is a law college, and the only legal institution where one can enroll as a attorney-at-law in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1874, under the then Council of Legal ...
,
Sri Lanka College of Technology
Shri (; , ) is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific.
The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as Marathi, Malay (including Indonesian and Malaysian), Javane ...
,
Galle Face Hotel
The Galle Face Hotel, founded in 1864, is one of the oldest hotels east of Suez. It is located on Galle Road, Colombo. The Ceylon Hotels Corporation is now part of the Galle Face Hotel Group. The hotel is a member of Select Hotels and Resorts In ...
and the
Royal College
A royal college in some Commonwealth countries is technically a college which has received royal patronage and permission to use the prefix ''royal''. Permission is usually granted through a royal charter. The charter normally confers a constitut ...
Main Building.
North America
In the United States, 'Victorian' architecture generally describes styles that were most popular between 1860 and 1900. A list of these styles most commonly includes
Second Empire (1855–85),
Stick-Eastlake (1860–ca. 1890),
Folk Victorian (1870–1910),
Queen Anne (1880–1910),
Richardsonian Romanesque (1880–1900), and
Shingle (1880–1900). As in the United Kingdom, examples of Gothic Revival and Italianate continued to be constructed during this period, and are therefore sometimes called Victorian. Some historians classify the later years of Gothic Revival as a distinctive Victorian style named High Victorian Gothic.
Stick-Eastlake, a manner of geometric, machine-cut decorating derived from Stick and Queen Anne, is sometimes considered a distinct style. On the other hand, terms such as "
Painted Ladies
In American architecture, painted ladies are Victorian and Edwardian houses and buildings repainted, starting in the 1960s, in three or more colors that embellish or enhance their architectural details. The term was first used for San Francisc ...
" or "
gingerbread" may be used to describe certain Victorian buildings, but do not constitute a specific style. The names of architectural styles (as well as their adaptations) varied between countries. Many homes combined the elements of several different styles and are not easily distinguishable as one particular style or another.
Notable Victorian-inspired cities during this era include
Alameda
An alameda is a street or path lined with trees () and may refer to:
Places Canada
* Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan
** Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan
Chile
* Alameda (Santia ...
,
Astoria,
Albany,
Deal
A deal, or deals may refer to:
Places United States
* Deal, New Jersey, a borough
* Deal, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* Deal Lake, New Jersey
Elsewhere
* Deal Island (Tasmania), Australia
* Deal, Kent, a town in England
* Deal, a ...
,
Troy,
Philadelphia,
Washington, D.C.,
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, the
Brooklyn Heights and
Victorian Flatbush
Victorian Flatbush is the western section of the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, bordering Midwood, that is characterized by Victorian houses.
The neighborhoods of Victorian Flatbush were developed in the early twentieth century from far ...
sections of New York City,
Buffalo,
Rochester,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
,
Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
,
Eureka,
Galena,
Galveston,
Grand Rapids,
Baltimore,
Jersey City/
Hoboken,
Cape May,
Louisville,
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...
,
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
,
Milwaukee,
,
Pittsburgh,
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, Californi ...
,
Saint Paul,
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
and
Midtown in
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
.
Los Angeles grew from a
Pueblo (village) into a
Victorian Downtown – now almost entirely demolished but with residential remnants in its
Angelino Heights and
Westlake neighborhoods. San Francisco is particularly well-known for its extensive Victorian architecture, especially in the
Haight-Ashbury,
Lower Haight,
Alamo Square,
Western Addition
The Western Addition is a district in San Francisco, California, United States.
Location
The Western Addition is located between Van Ness Avenue, the Richmond District, the Haight-Ashbury and Lower Haight neighborhoods, and Pacific Heights.
T ...
,
Mission,
Duboce Triangle
The Duboce Triangle is a neighborhood of San Francisco, California, located below Buena Vista Park and between the neighborhoods of the Castro/Eureka Valley, the Mission District, and the Lower Haight.
According to the 2010 neighborhoods map o ...
,
Noe Valley
Noe Valley ( ; originally spelt Noé) is a neighborhood in the central part of San Francisco, California. It is named for Don José de Jesús Noé, noted 19th-century Californio statesman and ranchero, who owned much of the area and served as ma ...
,
Castro,
Nob Hill
Nob Hill is a neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States that is known for its numerous luxury hotels and historic mansions. Nob Hill has historically served as a center of San Francisco's upper class. Nob Hill is among the hig ...
, and
Pacific Heights neighborhoods.
The extent to which any one is the "largest surviving example" is debated, with numerous qualifications. The
Distillery District in Toronto, Ontario contains the largest and best preserved collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America.
Cabbagetown is the largest and most continuous Victorian residential area in North America. Other Toronto Victorian neighbourhoods include
The Annex,
Parkdale, and
Rosedale. In the US, the
South End of Boston is recognized by the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
as the oldest and largest Victorian neighborhood in the country.
Old Louisville in
Louisville, Kentucky, also claims to be the nation's largest Victorian neighborhood.
Richmond, Virginia is home to several large Victorian neighborhoods, the most prominent being
The Fan. The Fan district is best known locally as Richmond's largest and most 'European' of Richmond's neighborhoods and nationally as the largest contiguous Victorian neighborhood in the United States. The
Old West End neighborhood of
Toledo, Ohio is recognized as the largest collection of late Victorian and
Edwardian
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...
homes in the United States, east of the
Mississippi.
[Stine, L. (2005) Historic Old West End Toledo, Ohio. Bookmasters.] Summit Avenue in
Saint Paul, Minnesota, has the longest line of Victorian homes in the country.
Over-The-Rhine in
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...
, has the largest collection of early Victorian
Italianate architecture in the United States, and is an example of an intact 19th-century urban neighborhood.
[Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce]
Over-the-Rhine Historical Sites
According to National Register of Historic Places,
Cape May Historic District
The Cape May Historic District is an area of with over 600 buildings in the resort town of Cape May, Cape May County, New Jersey. The city claims to be America's first seaside resort and has numerous buildings in the Late Victorian style, inc ...
has one of the largest collections of late 19th century frame buildings left in the United States.
The photo album ''L'Architecture Americaine'' by
Albert Levy published in 1886 is perhaps the first recognition in Europe of the new forces emerging in North American architecture.
File:PAFA 1900 from Library of Congress (cropped).jpg, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, by Frank Furness
File:AlleghenyCountyCourthouse.jpg, Allegheny County Courthouse, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by Henry Hobson Richardson
File:Santa Fe passenger terminal in San Diego prior to 1915.jpg, The California Southern Railroad's San Diego passenger terminal, built in 1887
File:Brooklyn Bridge Postdlf.jpg, Brooklyn Bridge, 1883, New York City
File:Carson Mansion Eureka California.jpg, The Carson Mansion
The Carson Mansion is a large Victorian house located in Old Town, Eureka, California. Regarded as one of the premier examples of Queen Anne style architecture in the United States, the house is "considered the most grand Victorian home in Amer ...
in Eureka, California
Eureka (Wiyot: ''Jaroujiji'', Hupa: ''do'-wi-lotl-ding'', Karuk: ''uuth'') is the principal city and county seat of Humboldt County in the Redwood Empire region of California. The city is located on U.S. Route 101 on the shores of Humboldt B ...
, widely considered one of the highest executions of Queen Anne style, built 1884–86
File:SteinbeckHouse.jpg, John Steinbeck's childhood home in Salinas, California
File:Emlen-physick-estate.jpg, Emlen Physick Estate in Cape May Historic District
The Cape May Historic District is an area of with over 600 buildings in the resort town of Cape May, Cape May County, New Jersey. The city claims to be America's first seaside resort and has numerous buildings in the Late Victorian style, inc ...
, New Jersey, by Frank Furness
File:Saitta House Dyker Heights.JPG, The Saitta House
The Saitta House is a two-and-a-half-story, single-family Queen Anne dwelling in the Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn, New York, United States.
It was completed ca. 1899 by architect John J. Petit and builder P.J. la Note for Beatrice and S ...
, Dyker Heights
Dyker Heights is a predominantly residential neighborhood in the southwest corner of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is on a hill between Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Borough Park, and Gravesend Bay. The neighborhood is bounded by 7th an ...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York, built in 1899 is designed in the Queen Anne style
File:655 Wrightwood Avenue Circa 1880, Lincoln Park Chicago Illinois.jpg, 1880s photo of 653 W Wrightwood (now 655 W Wrightwood) in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, Illinois
File:Farnam Mansion 2.jpg, The Italianate style Farnam Mansion
The Farnam Mansion is a 19th-century mansion in Oneida, New York, United States. Built circa 1862, it is situated on the southwest corner of Main and Stone Streets within the city's Main-Broad-Grove Streets Historic District, which was listed on ...
in Oneida, New York. Built circa 1862
File:JamesJHillHouse.jpg, James J. Hill House
The James J. Hill House in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, was built by railroad magnate James J. Hill. The house, completed in 1891, is near the eastern end of Summit Avenue near the Cathedral of Saint Paul. The house, for its time, was ...
in St. Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...
, built in 1891
File:Victorian Gazebo.jpg, Victorian gazebo in Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
File:Over-the-Rhine-12th-and-Vine.jpg, Series of Italianate tenements in Over-The-Rhine, Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...
, Ohio
File:Ford Piquette Avenue Plant - Front Façade.jpg, Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
, built 1904
File:Cape may pink victorian.jpg, Gingerbread trim on an 1882 house in Cape May, New Jersey
File:206 West Moore Street, Hackettstown, NJ.jpg, The Jacob C. Allen House
The Jacob C. Allen House is a historic building at 206 West Moore Street in Hackettstown, Warren County, New Jersey. It was built with a Second Empire architectural style. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places for ...
(c. 1870) in Hackettstown, New Jersey
Canada
Canada's
chief dominion architects designed numerous federal buildings over the course of the Victorian era.
Thomas Fuller's completion of the
Canadian Parliament Buildings in 1866, in particular, established a High Victorian Gothic influence over Canadian architectural design for several consecutive decades, producing many public buildings, churches, residences, industrial buildings, and hotels.
File:Banff Springs Hotel1.jpg, Banff Springs Hotel
File:Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate.jpg, Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate
Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and parish church in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. A Gothic Revival style building constructed between 1876 and 1888 by architect Joseph Connolly, it is considered C ...
File:British Columbia Parliament Building, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.jpg, British Columbia Parliament Buildings
The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
The Speaker and the Serjeant-at-Arms are amongst those responsible for the legislative ...
(main block)
File:Canadian Museum of Nature - 06.jpg, Canadian Museum of Nature
File:Michael Toronto.jpg, Cathedral Church of St. James (Toronto)
The Cathedral Church of St. James is an Anglican cathedral in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the location of the oldest congregation in the city, with the parish being established in 1797. The cathedral, with construction beginning in 18 ...
File:Cathedral 006.JPG, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Saint John, New Brunswick)
File:Central Chambers - 04.jpg, Central Chambers (Ottawa)
Central Chambers is a building at the corner of Elgin Street and Queen Street in Ottawa that is a National Historic Site. It is located at 42 to 54 Elgin Street, next to Bell Block. It faces the Canadian War Memorial at Confederation Square. ...
File:2016-11 Château Frontenac 06.jpg, Château Frontenac
File:Christ Church Cathedral day.jpg, Christ Church Cathedral (Montreal)
Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican Gothic Revival cathedral in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal. It is located at 635 Saint Catherine Street West, between Avenue Union and Boulevard Robert-Bourassa. It i ...
File:Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, New Brunswick (2005).jpg, Christ Church Cathedral (Fredericton)
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton. It is located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Construction of the cathedral began in 1845 and it was consecrated in 1853. The Gothic Revival cathedral i ...
File:Craigdarroch Castle just after sunset - view from the south, Victoria, Canada 01.jpg, Craigdarroch Castle
File:Halifax Armoury.JPG, Halifax Armoury
The Halifax Armoury is a military structure in central Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The armoury is the home base of The Princess Louise Fusiliers, and several cadet units.
Architecture
The armoury was designed in 1895 by Chief Dominion Arch ...
File:Residence H-Vincent-Meredith 01.jpg, Lady Meredith House
Lady Meredith House, also known as the H. Vincent Meredith Residence, is a historic mansion located at 1110 Pine Avenue West on the corner of Peel Street, in what is today known as the Golden Square Mile of Montreal, Quebec. It was originally ...
File:Hotel de ville de Montreal 09.JPG, Montreal City Hall
File:Langevin Block (2013)(cropped).jpg, Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council
The Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council (french: Bureau du Premier ministre et du Conseil privé) building, formerly known as the Langevin Block (french: Édifice Langevin, ), is an office building facing Parliament Hill in Ottawa, ...
(formerly Langevin Block)
File:Old Post Office Galt Cambridge Ontario cropped.jpg, Old Galt Post Office Building
File:Torontos Old City Hall 2009.jpg, Old Toronto City Hall
File:Dawn at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.JPG, Parliament Buildings (Centre Block and Library)
File:Gare Viger 16.jpg, Place Viger
Place Viger was both a grand hotel and railway station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, constructed in 1898 and named after Jacques Viger, the first Mayor of the city. Although combined stations and hotels were common in the United Kingdom in the la ...
File:London-OntarioChurch2.jpg, St. Paul's Cathedral (London, Ontario)
File:The Algonquin in St Andrews.jpg, The Algonquin
File:Brockville Fuller Bldg.JPG, Thomas Fuller Building ( Brockville, Ontario)
File:Uoft universitycollege.jpg, University College, Toronto Main Building
File:City Hall and Volunteer Monument, Winnipeg, MB, 1887.jpg, Winnipeg City Hall (1887)
India
Because India was a colony of Britain, Victorian Architecture is prevalent in India, Especially in cities like
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...
, Kolkata and Chennai, In Mumbai (Formerly called Bombay) buildings like
Municipal Corporation Building,
Bombay University
The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai.
The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed h ...
,
Bombay High Court,
Asiatic Society of Mumbai Building (Former Town Hall) and the
David Sasoon Library are some example of Victorian Architecture in Mumbai. In Kolkata (Formerly called Calcutta) buildings like the
Victoria Memorial,
Calcutta High Court,
St Paul's Cathedral,
The Asiatic Society of Bengal
The Asiatic Society is a government of India organisation founded during the Company rule in India to enhance and further the cause of "Oriental research", in this case, research into India and the surrounding regions. It was founded by the ...
are some examples of Victorian Architecture in Kolkata. In Chennai (Formerly called Madras) some examples include
Madras High court,
State Bank of Madras
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* '' State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our ...
and
St. Mary’s Church.
Preservation
Efforts to preserve landmarks of Victorian architecture are ongoing and are often led by the
Victorian Society. A recent campaign the group has taken on is the preservation of Victorian
gasometers after utility companies announced plans to demolish nearly 200 of the now-outdated structures.
[Sean O'Hagan]
Gasworks wonders…
, ''The Guardian'', 14 June 2015.
See also
*
Victorian decorative arts
*
Victorian house
*
Victorian restoration
*
Folk Victorian
*
Albert Levy (photographer)
*
Georgian architecture
References and sources
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*, includes descriptions of different Victorian and early-20th-century architectural styles common in the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly
Oakland, and detailed instructions for repair and restoration of details common to older house styles.
External links
Decorative Hardware of the Victorian Era: An American. Perspective, Raheel AhmadPhotographs of Victorian Homes in Hamilton, Ontario CanadaVictorian era architecture in San Francisco, CaliforniaVictorian era architecture and history in Buffalo, New YorkArchitectural influences on Victorian styleVictorian churches blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Victorian Architecture
19th-century architectural styles
19th-century architecture in the United Kingdom
19th-century architecture in the United States
American architectural styles
Architectural history
British architectural styles
Revival architectural styles
Victorian architectural styles
Victorian architecture in the United States