Since I’m thinking about my upcoming visit to San Francisco in October, I decided to share these picturesque Queen Anne style houses with asymmetrical compositions and a rich variety of textures and ornamentation overlook Alamo Square in San Francisco. They are just down the street from the more famous Victorian “Painted Ladies” and equally deserving of attention.
Typical features of the style include patterned shingles, projecting bays, towers, mixed window sizes and shapes, and exuberant ornament, all of which are found in this house. The flush board siding on the lower floors is less commonly found on Queen Anne houses but appears to have been popular in San Francisco. Magazines and house plan books popularized the style. Queen Anne houses were built from coast to coast.
Understanding the style of a house is the essential first step in developing a restoration plan that prioritizes the preservation and restoration of character-defining features while making changes necessary for modern life in an old house.
Eight Victorian era house styles are among the 25 styles described and illustrated in Chapter 2 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Select preservation titles by other authors, including “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester, are also available in our shop!
“Restoring Your Historic House is also available in bookstores nationwide and from online retailers.
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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