Victorian Italianate House Styles

Background

• Controversy exists over the actual start date of Victorian Italianate-style houses. Some believe it began as far back as the very beginning of the 19th century, roughly around 1803, when a British architect by the name of John Nash constructed the first Italianate-style home in England. Others believe it wasn't until the mid-19th century that Italianate-style housing was established. This is primarily because prior to the mid-19th century, Italianate designs were not recognized as an architectural style. It wasn't until the 1830s that a man by the name of Sir Charles Barry began a movement that popularized and revolutionized the Italianate style of housing.

Characteristics

• Italianate-style homes are characterized as having low-pitched, and sometimes flat, roofs with a symmetrical disposition. The homes had a tendency to be quite tall, sometimes reaching a height of four or five stories. Wide overhangs were popular and the windows were typically tall and narrow with decorative hood moldings. Occasionally, you might find an arched or segmented fan-shaped window located just above the front door.

Italianate in the United States

• Although Italianate architecture originated in England during the early to mid-19th century, it didn't take long for its popularity to spread to the United States. By the 1850s, Italianate-style homes in the United States were extremely popular with a few minor revisions. Rather than the relatively tall Italianate homes commonly found in England, the Italianate-style homes in the United States remained between two and three stories. Part of its popularity stemmed from the fact that it was a versatile design that was able to match any budget or design preference. For instance, stone or brick Italianate homes indicated affluence while wood was considered conservative and modest.

Post-Victorian Italianate

• The Italianate style began to lose momentum during the 1870s when it was replaced by the later Victorian styles of Queen Anne and Eastlake. After the Civil War, the United States experienced a boom in its economy with increased industrialization. This explains the more elaborate homes that are of Queen Anne and Eastlake descent. By the 1890s, the production of Italianate-style Victorian homes had faded completely, leading to the birth of a new era of Victorian homes.