What Is a Victorian Farmhouse? A Look at Our 1898 Tennessee Home
- Reorigination
- Mar 19
- 6 min read
We Started with One Question
Welcome back!
Over the past couple weeks, we’ve shared the history of this house we call Maggie, and the story of how we came to be the ones taking care of her today.
So the next natural step was figuring out, what kind of old house did we just buy?
This house has ALWAYS stood out. She's well known locally, and she was something I noticed long before we ever owned her. She’s the kind of house you slow down for. The kind you keep looking at as you pass by.
And not because she’s flashy.
But because she leaves you a little intrigued. A little in awe. Like you know you’re looking at something special, even if you can’t fully explain why.
Even through decades of wear and over a century of change, we could still see it. The structure. The details. The intention behind how she was built.
And you could almost picture what she was meant to look like before time softened her.
So before we touched anything, we set out to understand what style of house this was originally designed to be.
Is She a Farmhouse?
The first place our minds went was what we thought was common sense.
She had to be a farmhouse.
She sits on land. A classic white house set at the top of a hill, shielded by trees, with open pastures stretching out beyond it. Cattle grazing. Corn growing. Chickens running around out back.
She was built to work, day in and day out.
That’s what a farmhouse is at its core.
Traditionally, these homes were built for utility first. They were often more modest in size, typically one to two stories, with straightforward layouts that prioritized function over form.
Rooms were practical and defined. Materials were local. Details were minimal.
And in a lot of ways, Maggie is exactly that.
But the more we looked at her, the more something didn’t quite line up.
Because while she functions like a farmhouse… she doesn’t look like one in the way you’d expect.
Is She Victorian?
So then our minds went the other direction, maybe she’s Victorian?
Victorian homes, built during the late 1800s, were designed with appearance in mind. They were often taller, filled with ornate, intricate detail, and arranged with a sense of symmetry that makes everything feel just right.
We started to notice how everything was placed with intention.
The way the windows lined up.
The trim that framed every edge.
The gables that added shape and movement across the rooflines.
These weren’t just houses built to work, but they were houses designed to be looked at.
But most of the time, you’d find that kind of design in towns or cities. Places where styles evolved quickly and craftsmanship could be more elaborate.
And Maggie, while detailed, doesn’t feel THAT formal.
She doesn’t feel delicate.
She still feels grounded. Like she belongs exactly where she sits on this simple grassy hill.
So Victorian didn’t fit quite right either.
So… Could She Be Both?
At a certain point, we started to wonder…
If she’s not fully one, and not fully the other… could she be both?
And the answer is yes!
Maggie is a Victorian Farmhouse!
These types of homes were built during the Victorian era, roughly between 1837 and 1901, blending the decorative design of the time with the practical structure of a farmhouse.
They take the function of rural living and layer in detail.
Not enough to lose their purpose.
But enough to give them presence.
And once you understand that, you start to see exactly where that balance shows up.
On the outside, the details are hard to miss.
The gables. The trim. The gingerbread-style woodwork. All of it layered in a way that draws your eye and gives the house its character.
But then you step inside.
And everything quiets down.
The layout is simple. The materials are practical. The details are minimal and intentional.
You see it in a few places. Mantles. Stair detailing. Door and window hardware.
Not everywhere.
Just enough.
The outside carries the presence. The inside keeps the purpose.
But Why Does She Exist in Rural Tennessee?
Once we understood what we were looking at, the next question came naturally.
Why here?
Why would a house with this level of detail be built in a rural setting like this?
The answer comes down to timing.
By the late 1800s, things were changing quickly.
Railroads were expanding. Mills were producing materials at a larger scale. And for the first time, decorative elements that once had to be hand carved could be machine made and shipped.
Even to rural Tennessee.
So while the home itself was still built for farm life, the details reflected what was happening in the world at the time.
You didn’t have to live in a city to have access to design anymore!
And that’s what you’re seeing here.
A farmhouse, built for the land around it, but influenced by a period that valued detail and craftsmanship.
How Was Our House Built?
When you look at how she was actually built, that same balance shows up again.
At her core, the structure is practical.
The materials are local. Pine used throughout the interior. Tongue and groove boards for the floors, walls, and ceilings.
Everything about her was built to be durable. To last. To handle daily life, but then you start to notice what was layered onto that.
The trim. The spindlework. The patterned shingles in the gables.
These weren’t structural necessities.
They were choices.
And THAT’S the distinction.
The bones of the house were built like a farmhouse.
But the finish reflects the influence of the time.
Seeing It Clearly in Maggie
Once we understood what a Victorian farmhouse was, the features in this house became impossible to miss.
What once just felt “different” started to make sense.
This is a two story home, with each floor carrying over 10 foot ceilings. It gives the house a vertical presence that you feel immediately, both from the outside and once you step inside.
The gables.
Six in total, each one filled with a diamond shingle pattern and finished with trim that looks like well placed, intricate wedding cake icing.
The porch.
Wrapping across the front and along the side in an L-shape, with a second level above it. Built for airflow, but layered with detail in the spindlework and railings, where even the patterns subtly shift between levels.
The windows.
Tall, around 8 feet, double hung, and evenly spaced across the house. Centered in each room, creating that sense of balance you notice without even realizing it.
And then inside.
A central hallway runs from front to back, with two rooms on one side and three on the other, mirrored again on the second floor.
The layout is simple. Functional. Easy to move through.
And the details, while more restrained, are still there.
You see them in the mantles. In the staircase. In the hardware on the doors and windows.
Not everywhere.
Just enough.
What's Next
Now knowing what Maggie is, we were able, and are moving forward, with clarity.
Every design and project decision has been, and will be, rooted in balance, because that’s what she was built on to begin with.
Keeping the purpose.
Protecting the presence.
And finding ways to our house forward in a way that still honors everything that came before her.
This is where the real work begins, and this is how we give Maggie her next beginning.
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