Gingerbread House Design

Oakley home tour is lesson in Victorian architecture

• What: Oakley Valley Historical Society offers its Historic Oakley Homes Tour

• When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 18

• Where: Buy tickets for the self-guided tour at Howells Opera House, 118 N. Blaine Ave.

• Cost: $8

• The history: Magnificent two- and three-story homes were constructed as Mormon settlers tried to live well in a frontier environment a century ago, and the tour provides a hearty dose of gingerbread trim and fish-scale siding. Many of the town's old homes still stand, and they helped earn Oakley a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

• Information: Marge Woodhouse, 862-3495

OAKLEY - Faded orange brick marks most of the historical homes in Oakley, and you won't need help picking them out among the ordinary bungalows and modern homes that line the town's roads.

Still, some details of Oakley's Victorian-style architecture need closer inspection.

Oakley Valley Historical Society has arranged a Saturday tour of five of the town's many historical homes and of Howells Opera House to benefit the renovations the society plans for the Oakley Museum. The homes were built at the turn of the 19th century, and current owners have decorated and renovated them to look as though it's still the late 1800s.

Look through our quick architectural guide here, and you'll be set to appreciate Victorian style on Saturday.

Eva Stutzman may be reached at 735-3288 or estutzman@magicvalley.com

—Spandrels

These decorative wood pieces adorned the tops of doorways and arches during the Victorian era. In the Payton home in Oakley, pictured here, they can be seen above the entryways to the kitchen and parlor. The spandrels are an example of the ornamentation prevalent in traditional Victorian design.

— Patterned wallpaper

Victorian decorating is known for the bold and elaborate floral wallpapers that abounded. There was also a focus on taxidermy in Victorian design elements. The wallpaper in the Payton house is a good example of both, with pheasants and florals boldly printed on the walls.

— Parlors

Victorian homes were designed to separate private and public spaces. Although current homeowners might call them living rooms, all the homes on the Historic Oakley Homes Tour have parlors which were traditionally the primary public space to entertain guests. These rooms were decorated with things that showcased family history and the homeowner's interests. In the Oakley homes, the parlors are filled with antiques and family heirlooms handed down for generations. The Payton parlor boasts an organ that used to be in Oakley's seminary school before 1905, when it was repaired and moved to the Payton house - more than a century ago.

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. We recommend using any leftover candy you have around the home and being as creative as you can. Icing is the perfect glue but can be a bit messy so try to use sparingly and keep the basics of your home simple to avoid frustration, dramatized by a sugar-rush. Also beware of Hansel and Gretel-like children that may try to gnaw at your home!

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