Queen Anne & Its Reigning Beauty

I live in an area that is full of Victorian-era residential architecture. 

I’m constantly captured by these beautiful homes. They are absolutely breath taking. I enjoy walking through my neighborhood often for this reason. 

As the homes highly inspire my design ideals, I thought it would be appropriate to share the wealth of information that I know about them.

The Queen Anne architectural style was a part of the Victorian Era. Homes in this style quickly gained popularity throughout the entire country from the late 1870's to the beginning of the 1900's.

The Queen Anne style shows the influence of English architect Richard Norman Shaw, whose designs melded the ideals of the old-English cottage with the rampant decorative impulse of the Victorian Era.

The Victorian Era was from 1837-1914, and the Queen Anne architectural style was roughly from the late 1870’s to the early 1900’s.

Characteristics of the Queen Anne architectural style includes steeply pitched roofs, irregular shapes, complicated asymmetrical shapes, dominant front-facing gables, one-story porch that extends to one or two sides of the home, round or octagonal towers (conical towers), wall surfaces textured with decorative shingles, patterned masonry, or half timbering (exposed wood framing) and a variety of colors, ornamental spindles or brackets, bay windows, corbelled chimneys, highly decorative windows and entry doors and Lathe-Turned spindles.

The photo I chose to share is the Queen Anne guest house. It is now a bed and breakfast, located in Galena, Illinois.

The home is welcoming guests for a lovely, relaxing or romantic getaway.  The home began construction in 1891 and finished in 1892. W.A. Telford was the architect and main builder of the home.