Susan's Victorians

The Square-bay Italianate

I'm not sure what the correct name for this style would be, but I'm refering to them as this because they are so similar to the Italianates. In San Francisco, where they can be found in abundance, they are referred to as the "San Francisco Stick" style. But, does that mean that houses not located in San Francisco are still within the stick style?

The 1880s were the decade when these houses were being built.

The description I read about the "stick" style says this about them: Decorations for houses were now made by mechanical processes. Porch posts and railings were turned on a lathe, giving a "heavy-legged" look to them. Most all decorations were of geometrical shapes, the most popular being the horizontal or vertical planks placed on the exterior walls.

If anyone can offer anymore information about these types of houses, Feel free to post it on my messageboard!

Anyhow, this is one of my most favorite looks for a house. I love the clean, square lines of the bay windows.

		Plattsmouth, Nebraska The gorgeous purple house is the “V. V. Leonard House”, built in 1871. Leonard was the first photographer in town and it made him wealthy enough to afford a house like this! The grey house might be a house that one of my ancestors lived at in 1913. I couldn't find an address on the house, but it looked to be in the right spot for an address I had in my genealogical research. Look how similar in style it is to the first house. I bet it even had a porch once: notice how there's a line in the middle of the house where it should be! Too bad this house isn't as nicely kept up.
		San Diego, California Just outside (sort of south) of San Diego is an area called National City - an ugly, industrial type place. But unexpectedly, right in the middle of it is a row of fabulous Victorian houses! Here is one of them.
		Heading north on the freeway after going through San Diego, I saw this one off to the right, and we got off at the very next exit to circle back and capture it!
		Los Angeles, California People might recognize this house if they watch that TV show called "Charmed". However, I took this photo years before that show was even created. It is in a section of L.A. called Echo Park, which is a haven for about 3 streets worth of real Victorian homes, in various states of renovation.
		San Francisco, California This cute one was across from a bus stop I used to wait at on Portrero Hill.
		And this one I could see from the front window of the house I used to live in on Potrero Hill. Unfortunately, the house I was at was not Victorian, so it won't be shown to you.
		Aren't these joined houses in Pacific Heights neat? I think I remember reading somewhere that they were built for two sisters for their wedding gifts.
		A couple more fancy ones in Pacific Heights.
		This one looks like it's wearing a tophat!
		A couple of sort of similar ones.
		This probably has always been apartments, as it is today. It's so huge and gorgeous! They sure don't put that kind of decoration into apartments these days.
		A close up shot of the decorations on a bay window.
		A larger than usual house of this style, located in the lower Haight. Look at the three window row going across the bay.
		Kind of hidden behind trees, but I liked the purple and white color scheme. It's in the Fillmore.
		Look at the differences between two houses that were presumably exactly alike in the olden days. One has been completely stripped of any ornamentation and slapped with new siding. The other has kept its decoration.
		A monochrome one in Noe Valley.
		Some similar looking ones, all in the Duboce Park area.
NEW!!!		Red Bluff , California Can you believe - this gorgeous one is a house museum! But we were there around 11 am, and the sign said hours are open from 1-4 pm. So....to kill time, we grabbed some lunch, let our son run around at a playground (why are playgrounds so hard to find in this town?) and hit some thrift shops. Where, the ladies who worked there informed us that, "Oh, that house museum has been closed for awhile now - due to foundation repair renovations!" Argh! Why didn't it SAY that? So, heartbroken, we left town and headed for our next stop on our 2007 road trip!
NEW!!!		Eureka, California So cute! Look at the railings and posts! Such nice detail.
NEW!!!		Sorry about the mess I made of this one! There was a huge van blocking the front so I tried to airbrush it out. I hate it when cars get in my way! Oh well, just look at the amazing trim around the roofline! Talk about elaborate!
		Astoria, Oregon Now we've come to just about my favorite house - because its MY house!!! It's called the "Cherry House" because it was the home of Peter L. Cherry, British Consul to India. It was built in 1883.
		Just down the street from us is this nice house. It had been converted into three apartments - two downstairs and one upstairs - but happily, the current owners have converted it back to a single-family home. So far they've put in a lovely new kitchen and pantry area, which I got to tour once. Now they're painting the exterior and it looks like it's going to be spectacular when finished. Wish we had painted OURS ourselves. We had "professionals" and honestly, they did a lame job. Looked great at first (see above) but now it's all fading and bubbling.
		And across the street from us is this one. It's currently an apartment house, with three or four apartments in it. Perhaps one day someone will come along and make a real home out of it again!