Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
~Mark Twain
When I was in my twenties I was pretty much obsessed with the Victorian Era, I was a regular subscriber to Victoria Magazine, I collected Victorian ephemera, and I read anything and everything that related to the time of Queen Victoria.Everywhere I go if there is a Victorian house tour I'm there. One of the most beautifully restored homes,W.H. Stark House, a Victorian landmark is in Orange Texas. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places this stunning Queen Anne Victorian has 15 rooms filled with beautiful artifacts including a copy of Napoleon Bonaparte's death mask,Meissen porcelain figurines, signed Artus Van Briggle pottery, (a Colorado Springs treasure), Rookwood vases,a one of a kind Gorham silver sterling set, and of course what every proper Victorian house would have a Steinway grand piano.
What I appreciate most about Victorian era art pieces and homes is the craftsmanship of the times. This is most evident in this architectural style. The W.H. Stark House was built in 1893 and combined the Queen Anne style with the Eastlake style.
Imagine what it would have been like to live in this 14,000 square-foot home. Nine feet windows and doors, five entrances,balustrade galleries, nine fireplaces, and modern to the era, electricity. This striking house lit up with modern electricity must have been a must see home in Orange, Texas.
The W.H. Stark House was designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission. Surprisingly, renovations didn't start on this house until 1971. Public tours started in 1984 and continue today with special home events for each season. On their website, you can virtually tour the home, room by room but if you ever find yourself in Orange, Texas I would make a point of exploring, dreaming, and discovering.
Visit the website for more information about this stunning collection of the Victorian era. I want to move into the turret room I think it would make a fantastic writing room.
W.H. Stark House
Labels: Orange, Texas, Victorian house tours