With mass-produced gingerbread trim, even the simplest house style became glamorous. (Photo by: … [+]
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There is no one Victorian house style: the Victorian era lasted for over 60 years and a lot of styles came and went during that time.
Many of those 19th century house styles incorporated fanciful trim, influenced by immigrants who brought their own favorite decorative traditions with them. Soon, Americans had homes that resembled Gothic cottages, Bavarian chalets, Italian villas, French chateaus and other fanciful designs. The United States had a variety of home styles borrowed from every country and every era in history as new immigrants built eclectic structures that incorporated leaded glass, balconies, over-hanging eaves and towers.
An increasingly important element for the 19th century house was woodwork that we call “gingerbread trim.” It included swags, brackets and teardrop pieces. “Gingerbread” emphasized the architectural features of a house, including porches, gables, balconies, windows and roof lines. Porches and balconies were often decorated with turned posts and curving corner brackets. Often a solitary window and gracefully carved ridge boards decorate the roof peaks.
All of this decorative woodwork became readily available after the steam-powered scroll saw and lathe were invented in the mid-19th century; soon the parts could be easily mass produced. The expansion of the railroads allowed elements to be manufactured on the East coast at low cost, in standard sizes, and shipped to building sites all over the country.
The paint industry after the Civil War, when paint was mass-produced, also contributed to the ubiquity of gingerbread. The paints used on ornate houses accentuate the asymmetrical style and highlight the patterns and textures. Homes having three or more bold or contrasting colors are often referred to as “painted
ladies.” Their spindle detailing, wrap around porches, rounded towers, and gables became typical embellishments of the Victorian home
Unfortunately, the same ornate and spectacular trim which made the Victorian era the most flamboyant and memorable, style wise, was also was the downfall of that style. The time, upkeep, and detail work needed to preserve the ornamentation was costly and time consuming. Soon gingerbread fell out of favor with the middle class and what was once beloved was now called decorative excess. The Depression of the 1930s and the onset of World War II rationing brought down the most exciting architectural style in a century, followed by modernism and minimalism.
But for those who love color, pattern and decoration, there is nothing like a glorious Victorian painted lady covered with gingerbread trim.