Video:Characteristics of a Victorian Gothic Home

Transcript:Characteristics of a Victorian Gothic Home

Hi, I'm Fred Abler, Graduate Architect and CEO of FormFonts.com. I'm here for About.com today to talk to you about the characteristic style of Victorian Gothic architecture.

Victorian Gothic Architecture is a Revival Style

Victorian Gothic is a revival style and, therefore, not true to the real Gothic architecture of medieval Europe. It's a style that took hold in the U.S. from 1840 to 1880, originally pastoral, but eventually working its way into more suburban and urban settings as the movement evolved. You can still find excellent examples of Victorian Gothic homes today in the 21st century.

Characteristics of a Victorian Gothic Home

The Biddle House in San Luis Obispo, California has been fully restored in recent years. It's key characteristics, which can be found on all Victorian Gothic homes, include: a steeply pitched roof; a single-story porch; extensive use of scrollwork; steep cross gables; bay or oriel windows; board and batten trim; and fans and finials, all combined in an asymmetrical floor plan, and very often using windows with pointed arches, and stained glass windows.

Interiors make heavy use of architectural moldings and details such as soffit beams, picture rails, wainscoting, and heavily ornamented millwork around the interior doors and windows. 

The Layout of a Victorian Gothic Home

Victorian Gothic houses often weren't designed by architects, but were more typically designed and built by carpenters; therefore, we see a lot of diversity in the style, particularly with the floor plans. There really is no one true style of floor plans when it comes to Victorian Gothic homes. The benefit of this in the mid- to late-1800s was that they were highly affordable, easily customizable, and easily tailored to specific lots or settings. Nowadays, these same features hold true, but these homes are typically owned by those with a passion for the style and those with a keen interest in maintaining a piece of architectural history.

Victorian Gothic Homes are Wise Investments

The price of Victorian Gothic homes holds up well in almost any market because the style has a small and devoted following. Victorian Gothic homes are gems of 19th century America, many of which still dot the landscapes of communities throughout the United States.

Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us on the web at About.com.