The best way to learn about historic houses is to look at them closely, and the most fun way to look at them closely is to do a puzzle showing a wonderful historic house! So, we made a unique and interesting collection of Historic House Puzzles for you to enjoy!
Elaborate wood trim elements are often a significant feature on Victorian era houses, giving them much of their character. Steam-powered mills developed during the period allowed for efficient and affordable production of fancy trim giving middle-class homeowners access to a level of ornamental detail previously only available to the wealthy. Even modest houses could be ornamented with a profusion of “gingerbread” trim, like this wonderful shotgun house in New Orleans.
Most of this trim was made from old-growth wood, which is dense and naturally rot-resistant. Even in cases where it has experienced long periods of neglect, this trim is often in remarkably good condition because of the quality of the wood it is made from.
When deterioration does happen, it should be repaired and/or replaced with new work of the same quality in materials and workmanship. Chapter 13 of Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners discusses the importance of these elements to the historic character of a house and approaches to preserving or restoring them.
Click on the dashed box at the top-right in the puzzle box below to open the puzzle to full screen. In the top left, you can change the number of pieces (100 pieces is the default), toggle piece rotation, and change the background color. Then hit “OK” and have fun!