ARCHITECTURE
Victorian Houses
The term “Victorian” descends from Britain's Queen Victoria who ruled from 1837-1901. In the history of American Architecture it was during the later years of her reign that the Victorian design became popular. The railways and industry in America continued to grow and deliver materials for building homes quickly, and more importantly, cheaply. These improvements in the economy led to the construction of more abstract homes. The Victorian style emphasizes design in texture and color. Thus, the six different categories of homes: Second Empire, Stick, Queen Anne, Shingle, Richardsonian Romanesque and Folk Victorian tend to overlap each other in design. In Readington, the most recognizable homes found in Readington Township of the Victorian design are Queen Anne Styles.
• Queen Anne
The most common design of homes found in Readington Township in the Victorian category are referred to as Queen Anne Styles. These homes were popular between the years of 1860-1900. The two styles pictured here share similar features, most notably the tower feature, seen on the corner of the houses. This design in the house alone is a give away to identifying this style. Other common features include bay windows , along with Gable ornaments on the high peaked roof.
 Note the tower feature, a common occurrence in most Queen Anne homes in the area. |
 Again we see the tower feature on the left side of the home. The roof image shows a cresting of ornaments on the peak, another key feature in the Queen Anne Style. |