Commonly called “Victorian Style” homes, these houses were built in the Victorian Era between 1837 and 1901 when Queen Victoria reigned over the United Kingdom.

Victorian homes are key to the character of many neighborhoods in the United Kingdom, but are very common in the United States as well, encompassing several architectural styles. Identifying them is easy if you know some of the key characteristics: an asymmetrical porch, roof, and exterior.

Here, we cover five architectural styles that are common in the US.

1) The Stick Style

This style typically refers to a home with linear woodwork of overlaying board strips that give the appearance of an exposed half-timber frame.

2) The Queen Anne Style

[caption id="attachment_768" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] By Jo Naylor - Flickr, CC BY 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14985229[/caption]

The architecture in this home often features very prominent and irregular roof shapes, decorative exteriors, turrets or towers, and multiple gables—including a front-facing gable.

3) The Richardsonian Romanesque Style

Stemming from French, Spanish, and Italian architecture, these homes typically feature rounded arches, entrances that are set back, and bands of windows.

4) The Second Empire Style

Second Empire homes can be identified by their Mansard roof, which has four sloping sides as seen on the center town of this home does. That square center tower is another common feature, as well as ornamental exterior molding.

5) The Shingle Style

While most Victorian homes are noticeably tall, the Shingle style is typically more horizontal with a plain, shingled roof. These homes combine the styles of both English and American Colonial homes.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_house
http://www.oldhouses.com/styleguide/victorians
https://architecturestyles.org/