Last summer, their aunt had purchased one in an identical stretch of five white stucco-clad townhouses in a quiet part of London. A dedicated bluestocking and proud spinster, the townhouse represented the independence their aunt valued. She had written gushing letters detailing how elegant and modern her new home was—fitted with cast-iron pipes, a kitchen with a hot water boiler that also serviced the bathrooms, and gas lamps in every room.
-A Song and a Snowflake
Right from when I first had the idea to write a series set on a street, I knew I would have a row of townhouses.
Townhouses had existed before the Victorian era--the whole idea of a townhouse is that it is a wealthy family's town house, as distinct from their country residence. Those who only lived in town presumably just had a house.
The design that the houses on Honeysuckle Street are based on comes from Robert Kerr's The Gentleman's House, or How to Plan English Residences (1864). In the early days of the professionalisation of architecture, Kerr was one of the founders of the Architectural Association, and later an elected fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.The design is quintessentially of its time. It has a sharp delineation between servant and family spaces, including walkways and stairwells:
The bottom floor, containing the kitchens, coal storage, scullery and bedrooms for some of the staff, is underground. The butlers pantry would often be where alcohol or expensive food would be stored behind a locked door. As head of the household, the butler was charged with stopping expensive food items from being stolen. Later, with a better understanding of health and hygiene of the 1870s, kitchens would be moved to the rear of the house and above ground.
The ground floor served as an intermediate space for everyone. Family and servants would cross paths in hallways and the dining room, and this floor was also where guests were greeted if they were coming for dinner. This level also led into a small courtyard and to the back of the house where the staff employed to car for the horses and the carriage lived.
The first floor contained a mix of public and private spaces, depending on how the family chose to allocate them. It could be a parlour, drawing room or sitting room. In Undercover with the Heiress, Rosanna's bedroom is on this floor, at the back of the house.
By the second floor, there are no more flexible spaces--these rooms are for the family, and maybe, a visitor. If you are curious, this is the level where Phineas has his bedroom in Heiress, in the rooms marked as guest rooms. If husbands and wives kept separate bedrooms, one of them might be on this floor.
The third floor has lots of smaller rooms. This is the space for older children, with some linen storage and additional bathrooms.
And finally, the fourth floor is the space for young children. It is no coincidence they are at the top of the house, after all, this is the era where children are seen and not heard. Ladies maids, maids and the nanny would be here too, ensuring a good distance between the male and female staff.
Robert Kerr, The Gentleman's House, or How to Plan English Residences (1864).
Trevor Yorke, The Victorian House Explained (2005).
John Summerson, The Architectural Association 1847-1947 (1947).