High Victorian Gothic architecture is a specific subset of the larger Gothic Revival movement that incorporated the beliefs of John Ruskin. Popular from 1860 to 1880, it is highly eclectic (even for Gothic architecture) and is well-known for its polychrome masonry.
"High Victorian Gothic" is a bit of a misnomer, as it was popular during the mid- to late Victorian era. Nonetheless, the name has stuck.
High Victorian Gothic architecture traces its origins to John Ruskin, an English architect who had strong views about the architecture of his time. He wrote an influential essay called The Seven Lamps of Architecture, which outlined his beliefs:
- Sacrifice - art inherently involves effort, as in the delicate work of the mason and sculptor
- Truth - the honest display of material and structure (hmm...kinda Modernist sounding...); Ruskin considered the Gothic Revival architecture of his contemporaries to be too idiosyncratic
- Power - architecture should be sublime and inspire awe, accomplished through form and shadow
- Beauty - ornamentation is necessary and a recognition of God's creation
- Life - buildings should involve the being of their makers, achieved via the freedom and joy of masons and sculptors
- Memory - architecture must respect its context and culture, as history confers meaning
- Obedience - avoiding new inventions in form, instead adhering to those established within history
Ruskin considered Neoclassical architecture and the revival of classicism in general to be misguided, as he perceived it to be "pagan" and created plagiarist architects. He viewed Gothic architecture as a more honest expression of religious architecture that honored nature, the builders, and God. His opinions quickly caught on within England (though Ruskin despised many contemporary Gothic Revival designs), and architect William Butterfield altered his plans for the All Saints church on Margaret Street shortly after Seven Lamps was published. Thus, that church is considered to be the first Ruskinian design. Indeed, it is also viewed as an early High Victorian Gothic work, having been completed in 1859.
High Victorian Gothic architecture began to be widely practiced in the 1860s, as it spread to the United States. It was popular for churches and flagship college campus buildings. The style bottomed out around 1880, as architects tended to adhere to more conservative interpretations of the larger Gothic Revival style by that time.
High Victorian Gothic architecture is usually identified by several features. Most notable is its materiality, as designs are typically (but not always) built of brick. It is common for polychrome brick to be used, and the facades and ornamentation often feature many different colors. Designs tend to be at a massive scale. Although Ruskin advocated for the opposite, many High Victorian Gothic buildings have very eclectic massing and forms.