The Queen Anne Style

Today’s post is a continuation of the two I did last week-( see here and here) in preparation for the Girl Scout meeting that I am in charge of- where I will teach the girls about a few styles of architecture. I thought the Girl Scout troop would enjoy learning about the Queen Anne style of architecture- since the characteristics are so common in their Barbie houses and princess castles. The Queen Anne style was prominent during the late 1800’s. It is sometimes referred to as Victorian- but Victorian is not actually a style of architecture- but rather a period of time, which encompasses several styles of architecture. The Queen Anne was the most whimsical style of the Victorian era. Some characteristics indicative of the Queen Anne style include:

• Decorative wood and plaster details, including gingerbread detail, festoons, spindles, and patterned and fish scale shingles. The photo above is an example of a festoon- it is an applied molding that is usually a group of flowers or fruit.
• The homes have variable heights and shapes. The architecture tends to be complex and asymmetrical.
• Wrapping porches are common. Porches are often circular, with colonnettes and turned railings.
• The most distinctive feature is the circular or square tower with cone shaped roof.

Any fans of the Queen Anne style out there? Does anyone live in a Queen Anne home? I really like the asymmetrical ornate quality of the exteriors- but find their interiors to be a little too intricate and fussy for my taste. What do you think?