Architecture
American Home Styles: The Queen Anne
The Queen Anne's wide porch, gable and tower were welcome additions to the neighborhood
At the tail end of the 19th and early into the 20th centuries, a popular home style in the United States was the Queen Anne. The Queen Anne was clearly a transitional style, creating a bridge between the exuberant Victorian and the restrained Colonial Revival styles.
The Queen Anne home is characterized by its asymmetrical design. With a large projecting gable on one side and a tall, thin tower to the other, the Queen Anne is a tall, upright and proud house. At its base, the Queen Anne has a wide porch that welcomes the visitor and provides a place to rest and view the street. An abundance of large windows keeps the interior of the Queen Anne light and bright.
The Queen Anne home is characterized by its asymmetrical design. With a large projecting gable on one side and a tall, thin tower to the other, the Queen Anne is a tall, upright and proud house. At its base, the Queen Anne has a wide porch that welcomes the visitor and provides a place to rest and view the street. An abundance of large windows keeps the interior of the Queen Anne light and bright.
This classic Queen Anne has a tower, projecting gable roof and front porch. From its Palladian window in the gable to its Hindustani inspired tower roof, this Queen Anne typifies the eclecticism of its day.
Here is a more restrained Queen Anne, this time painted all white to reflect the approaching popularity of the Colonial Revival.
The porch on a Queen Anne is one of its more important spaces. Here the porch swells out to create a large space for family and friends to enjoy the outdoors and watch the world go by.
Smaller, tighter and more restrained due to its urban context, this Queen Anne shares the large projecting gable roof with its suburban brethren.
Sometimes the tower on the Queen Anne house was stunted, as if that tall vertical gesture was just too much exuberance. No matter — that wonderful round or octagonal shape was so important to a Queen Anne that it makes its impact even without a lot of height.
This is definitely not a Queen Anne. More exuberant, articulated and eclectic, comparing this home to the previous provides a stark contrast between what comprises a Victorian and a Queen Anne.
Queen Anne interiors are often light, bright and enjoyable spaces. Large windows, tall ceilings and asymmetrical plans provide rich interior spaces that can be renovated to suit 21st-century living patterns.
Like the best styles, the Queen Anne can be reinterpreted and brought up to date. In many ways the Queen Anne lives on, even when it’s not so readily apparent, in this home. Sure, there’s no “gingerbread“ or “brick-a-brac,” and it has an all-flat roof. But the asymmetrical exterior, tower space that wraps the corner, abundance of glass and front living space are all here.
Do you live in a Queen Anne? Please tell us about it!
More:
Browse Victorian Exteriors
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Do you live in a Queen Anne? Please tell us about it!
More:
Browse Victorian Exteriors
Find an Architect