Queen Anne Victorian in Valdosta, Georgia

Monroe-Sutton- Haller House c. 1896

The Monroe-Sutton-Haller House in Valdosta, Georgia is said to be the finest example of surviving Queen Anne architecture in the area. Stephen F. Fulghum was the Valdosta architect commissioned by Dr. W.F. Monroe to build his landmark Victorian residence. I’d been up and down the interstate through Georgia many times before actually driving around this interesting Historic District. Of course this is the South, so there’s lots of giant old Oak trees and Spanish moss hanging around. It’s really beautiful and quieter than some more touristy towns in Georgia.

This house really catches your eye when you come around the corner. The Queen Anne style is easy to identify with the decorative detail, corner tower, expansive porches and richly patterned wall surfaces. Victorian architecture draws from only one era, such as the Gothic Victorian house influenced by the Middle Ages alone, where the Queen Anne style draws from many different aesthetic historical eras, such as Middle Ages Gothic and Elizabethan Renaissance.

Queen Anne style architecture was one of a number of popular Victorian architectural styles that emerged in the United States during the period of approximately 1880 to 1910. I was to surprised to read that the American Queen Anne Style architecture bears almost no relationship to the original Queen Anne style architecture in Britain, which is a toned down version of Baroque appearing during the time of Queen Anne, who reigned from 1702 to 1714.