The term “Victorian” refers to an era, not any one specific style of home. Victorian era buildings range from the great “painted ladies” to more modest homes of 1-1/2 stories.
In the Victorian era, there are several styles of homes. They all have several features in common with each other, and some of them can be classified in more than one style. They usually have an asymmetrical building footprint with projections and intersecting masses in the roofs and walls. Roof pitches are at least 12/12 and roofs may be hipped and/or gabled in a wide variety of combinations. The gables are emphasized with decorative wood shingles and ornate trim. Round turrets are common on the most elaborate Victorian era houses. Facades frequently include a large picture window, slightly taller than wide, surmounted by a fixed pane of ornamental glass. Victorian era porches are ornate, with turned or round columns, porch rails, and turned spindles in a variety of patterns. Porches are large and gracious, often wrapping around the house.
The various Victorian era home styles include: the Queen Anne, the Shingle Style, the French Second Empire style / Mansard Victorian, and a Richardsonian style.