Expert: Rikki Nyman - 11/2/2009

Question
What types of roofing materials were typical for Queen Anne style homes in the 1910-1920 time-frame? If more than one,were they interchangeable or style specific, for example a siding house had one type of roof, while a brick had another?

Answer
Queen Anne style houses were falling out of favor by 1910, but those that were built were commonly roofed with composition-style shingles that were light and relatively malleable ... an advantage in buildings that sported onion dome and witch's hat turrets. (Occasionally, one might have been built with wood shingle, tile, or slate, but most examples I've seen of that occurred before 1900.)

The surviving variety of Queen Anne into the 1910s was usually the Free Classic style that had more in common with classical or Colonial Revival styles than Queen Anne. There was a fair amount of architectural experimentation, so different combinations of siding and roofing material occurred across the US. Some combinations like stucco with tile or shake siding with wood shingled roofs seemed to look better together so they are more commonly seen, but there weren't any rules per se.

I hope this helps!

Best regards,
Rikki Nyman
Editor, www.antiquehomestyle.com