Why the Victorian Mansion is a Horror Icon

Why is the haunted house in the movie always a Victorian mansion? First, you have to admit that they are creepy looking. They are old, which means they come with an extensive history. But there are other reasons that tales of murder, mayhem, and hauntings go well in such a setting. After all, no one expects a ghost in a suburban ranch house. Vox explains the history of how our classic tales came to be set in Victorian mansions.

Though it's far from a mansion, my house was built 113 years ago. As I told my kids, any house that old probably had a lot of people die in it, but that's normal, because people want to die at home. They don't particularly want to be murdered, however.