Victorian Country Homes

Class

This article discusses the various country estates bought and built by those in the upper class during the Victorian Era. Sometimes, a wealthy person would buy an old estate and hire an architect to remodel. Often, they were built from scratch. These houses were so large that some needed twenty-five servants and each servant was provided his or her own private space, regardless of social class. These estates were, like so many other aspects of the upper class, a way to display one’s wealth. “The competition was partly about size; but style was just as important. Whether spending old money or new, the proud possessors of these estates wanted to show off their own taste in architecture. Most employed top-level architects, but, despite the increasing professionalism of the craft, a few decided to design their own homes. The results could sometimes leave their visitors not so much impressed as positively speechless.” These mansions can give us an idea of what Thornfield may have looked like.

Victorian Web

mid-19th century

Rachel Niemeyer