Italian style homes were the most popular style in the United States. Many historians say this style was favored for two reasons; these homes could be built with many different materials and the style could be easily adapted depending on the budget. Plus, several new technologies of the Victorian Era made it possible to quickly and inexpensively produce cast-iron and press-metal decorations.
Italian style homes feature a flat or low-pitched roof, widely overhanging eaves with large decorative brackets underneath, tall narrow windows and sometimes elaborate wrap-around porches. This style dominated the housing styles in America from 1850-1880 and is a very common style throughout San Francisco, but due to the height of the Civil War in the South, they are uncommon in the that region of the country.
