The Victorian period occurred between 1837 and 1901 during the reign of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of England and Ireland, and Empress of India. Because it encompasses almost all of the 19th century, the character of Victorian period moldings can vary widely. Victorian architecture is an assemblage of previous styles and actually includes multiple revival styles. The period saw profound transformations as advancements in industrial machinery and construction techniques and a growing middle class granted architects and builders opportunities never available before. Generally speaking architecture built between 1860 and 1900 can be considered “Victorian”.
In the United States, whole neighborhoods or entire towns may be filled with Victorian-style homes. San Francisco, Martha’s Vineyard, Louisville, Kentucky and the garden district of New Orleans all include large neighborhoods full of Victorian-style homes. Both the exterior and interior of Victorian-style homes often are ornamental and frilly due to the machine-made decorative elements made possible through industrial production. Moulding profiles shaped by machines liberated the Victorian designers from the confines of the hand-planed profiles of the Greek and Gothic styles of the early 19th century. Victorian-style homes were often covered with decorative polychromatic details to create an impressive display of craftsmanship and were filled with ornate furniture, patterned wallpapers and fabrics.
