The Fredösphere

My architecture rant of yesterday attracted some nice attention from Ionarts of course, and A.C. Douglas.  Both blogs resisted denouncing me, which is appreciated.  The venerable City Comforts also took notice.  Thanks to all.

This architecture cow's udder does not appear empty, so let's keep milking, shall we?  Let's return to the collection of snap shots I took during a recent road trip to Coldwater, Michigan, the seat of the county I grew up in.  It possesses many fine old homes.  Previously I focused on the Italianates, my first love.  Today I bring you Queen Anne, the most familiar of the Victorian styles.  I admit I resent the way Her Majesty uses her position to overpower the more interesting Italians, Goths and Greeks.  I also take exception to some of the wild color schemes that have captured the attention of preservationists:  do rusty brown, teal, mustard and mauve really all belong together on one house?

Nevertheless, Queen Anne is worthy of our praise.  Coldwater has many fine examples.  (Click any thumbnail image to see a larger version.)  The first home is on Chicago St., the main drag.  This is one with a color schemes that troubles me, but the square tower is fine.

The second, third and fourth houses each stand at a corner of the same intersection, just one block south of Chicago St.  Particularly the second impresses one with the size and complexity of the restoration effort.  What a magnificent job.  The fourth's corner tower is seems not a completely successful part of the design.

The final house stands just a few doors down from the previous three.  It's front is unusually plain for a Queen Anne, and not entirely typical in its detailing; the fancy bays with second-storey balconies are reserved for the side.  Standing in the street and seeing these four neighbors (plus an adjacent Italianate that is a bit odd but has interesting detailing in brick) one is transported to an older, more tasteful time.  A time free of terrorism, pollution, and moral squalor.  A time free of blogs.  A time with a really crappy infant mortality rate -- well, I seem to have got off track somehow.  I'm sure the era that produced these beautiful houses must have been superior in every way, but the idea of bolstering my argument with, you know, facts seems very boring all of the sudden.

In any event, enjoy the images, and if you find yourself near Coldwater some day, definitely stop by and take a quick tour.