Remember when I said I loved old houses? Well, I do. I know a bit about them too. Today I want to talk about the Victorian style that we see here and there in the Salt Lake Valley.

This style of architecture was most popular between 1830 and 1910. Because of that time frame, most of the Victorian homes we see in our area are located in the neighborhoods that were developed the earliest - Central City, the Avenues, and Downtown. You will see them too tucked into newer neighborhoods at times. These houses were often built on homesteads in the late 1800s with nothing around but farms. That land has been subdivided over time to the neighborhoods we have now.

Victorians are known for being very elaborate and ornate - more decorative than practical at times. They are often 2-3 stories, have decorative wood or stone exteriors, have steep, multi-faceted roofs with gables facing different directions and sometimes even round towers. They have decorative trim known as “gingerbread” and are often painted in vibrant colors. Often the have windows of varying sizes and shapes. Inside rooms and closets are often small and sometimes maze like.

When I described them in that paragraph it made them sound a bit “fun-house-y.” They are beautiful, elaborate, ornate homes. We are lucky to have them here in our city. I will feature a couple of local Victorian homes in the next couple weeks. I’d love to hear what you think of these beauties.