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Queen Anne
c.1880-1900
The Queen Anne style,
commonly referred to as "Victorian," was a charismatic blend of eighteenth
century English architecture and earlier Medieval motifs. As it spread
across the United States between about 1880 and 1900, it acquired a
distinctively American flavor characterized by a profusion of wooden
ornamentation, including
gingerbread,
vergeboards,
fishscale shingles,
turned posts, and other
millwork.
The Queen Anne style typically involved
asymmetrical massing, irregular fenestration, diversity of wall treatments
and projecting bays, and a feeling of forced informality. These buildings
were statements of individuality and uniqueness in an ever more regulated
and mass-produced world. The style was used chiefly in domestic
architecture, although its influence is occasionally found in commercial
architecture.
The Queen Anne style was not as popular in
Morgan County as in other parts of Indiana. Many of the best examples are
found in Martinsville. The Sichting House at 239 West Columbus Street is an
outstanding example. The house displays a high degree of craftsmanship in
its elaborate porch and millwork. The varied surface treatment, use of fish
scale shingles and corner tower make it an outstanding representation.
Smaller, more modest examples of the Queen Anne style are referred to as
Queen Anne cottages. Typically, these houses are one story with Queen Anne
style decorative elements such as porches and millwork.
Queen Anne: Sichting
House (c.1890), 239 West Columbus Street, Martinsville
Queen Anne Cottage: "Keyhole House" (c.1900), 629 East Morgan Street
Queen Anne: Schnaiter House (c.1890), 189 North Wayne Street
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