This detail shot is of a Second Empire style house with wonderful exuberant Victorian era scroll-cut ornamental trim. The Victorian love of ornament is one of the defining characteristics of the age.
The development of steam-powered woodworking mills in the mid-19th century allowed for elaborate ornament for the homes of the expanding upper middle class. Some of the work produced was truly exceptional, like this example.
Second Empire is one of 25 historic architectural styles described and illustrated in Chapter 2 of Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners. Understanding the style of a house and will help you understand which features are character-defining so you can prioritize their preservation.
The 720-page award-winning and best-selling hardcover book is available in bookstores and from online retailers (it is currently 34% off on Amazon! http://ow.ly/N7ba50y4PSL).
Signed and personalized copies are available directly from the author on this site, click here: https://yourhistorichouse.com/shop/.
Your local bookstore can order copies from W.W. Norton.
We are working on a new initiative to help people learn about architectural styles, we thought we’d give you a chance to test your knowledge! Click here to take the historic architectural styles quiz and sign up* to hear about everything we are working on: yourhistorichouse.com/quiz/.
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