A “Victorian” is a building designed between 1837-1901, the years of Queen Victoria’s reign. Many of these historic buildings in San Francisco have adopted bright colors and embellishments, so you can’t miss them! Walk through just about any neighborhood in the city and you’ll see plenty of interesting architecture from this era, ranging from classic “stick” style homes to italianates.
Here we’ve rounded up some photos of the most beautiful Victorian homes in San Francisco.
Queen Anne (1880-1910)
Many famous SF homes are done in the Queen Anne style, generally featuring steep roofs, patterns, lacy decorations, bay windows, and elevated porches. Perhaps the most famous example of Queen Annes in the city are the Painted Ladies, a row of colorful matching homes on Postcard Row. Queen Anne herself actually reigned from 1702-1714, and has little to do with this style of home – it was so named more for the medieval influence seen in the architecture.
Turreted Queen Anne (1880-1910)
Some Queen Anne homes are topped with turrets. Generally these are larger homes placed on street corners.
Bay window Italianate (1880s)
These generally narrow homes make up for their small square footage with the addition of large bay windows on their facades. Over the years these bay windows appeared in different shapes and sizes, but the concept remains the same.
Stick (1860-1890)
Generally you will find townhouse versions of these stick homes in San Francisco, which feature decorative “sticks” applied to the walls of the home that do not serve a structural function. These homes feature steep gabled roofs, squared bay windows, and patterned wooding cladding.
Be sure to read about these architecture styles and more here.
[Featured Image: Instagram / @paolabrignetiphotography]