If you are out looking for a new home, or just interested in architecture in general, you may have come across the term Queen Anne Style house. These house styles are particularly found in neighborhoods in North America with a long history, usually started on large pieces of property that include sprawling yards. In this article we will take a look at some of the criteria that a building must satisfy to be termed a Queen Anne Style.

Queen Anne architectural history

First of all, let’s get some of the mystery of the name out of the way so that you aren’t confused by period architecture. No one is quite sure why Queen Annes are known by that name, since the style itself did not emerge until the real Queen Anne had been dead for some time. They are a part of the broader category of Victorian architecture, but in fact their construction mostly derives from inspiration in the Middle Ages.

The style itself became widespread in Europe and North America at the end of the 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution was just becoming a reality. This new phenomenon not only meant an influx of new materials for building purposes, but also the burgeoning of a previously small middle class.

This emergent class wanted homes, which represented their new stature somewhat, representing a castle but also the smaller and more convenient aspects of a smaller home or cottage. The result was the hodgepodge appearance known as Queen Anne architecture.

What to look for

As several people have said, Queen Anne style architecture is fairly easy to spot, but less easy to define. In a Queen Anne style house you can expect to see a rejection of symmetry; there will be different shapes and lengths to the walls and roofs of the building. Indeed, it has some of a blocked together feel, although the different styles combined contribute rather than detract from the overall impression.

The roof of a Queen Anne style building is typically quite steep, although like the rest of the house the roof will vary in grade and appearance. In addition, any number of detailing can be incorporated which will still leave the house in the Queen Anne category.

So for a simple definition, let’s just say that Queen Anne style houses are fairly eclectic. This is entirely appropriate to an architectural style that has nothing at all to do with the royal from whom it takes its name!