Admired for its simplicity and directness, Craftsman architecture is experiencing a resurgence of popularity today, more than a hundred years after its beginnings. Like the architecture of the Arts and Crafts movement in Europe, it relied on readily available native materials and reflected the historical influence of the builder. Architects sought to harmonize the structure with the site, blurring the line between interior and exterior. New ideas about health encouraged outdoor living on terraces and porches.
Gustav Stickley’s houses were the first to carry the Craftsman name, which he also used for his Craftsman Workshops, his Craftsman Home Builder’s Club, and The Craftsman magazine. Strictly speaking, the only houses that can be truly called “Craftsman” are the ones built from designs that appeared in the magazine, but his style was so popular that the term was soon used for other houses of similar style. Stickley’s floor plans usually included suggestions for an exterior architectural scheme, including Tudor, Spanish Mission, Dutch Colonial, and Bungalow styles.
Gothic and Tudor styles were very popular. The first Roycroft buildings were influenced by St. Oswald’s Church in Grasmere, England, echoing its style with plain Gothic windows and post-and-beam construction from natural logs. The crenellated tower of the print shop echoes the medieval castles of England but is built of native glacial stones. Fourteen buildings on the original Roycroft Campus have been designated as National Historic Landmarks. Fonthill, built by the tile manufacturer Henry Mercer, was inspired by the medieval fortresses of Europe and was filled with a fabulous tile collection.
In California and throughout the Southwest, Mission or Craftsman architecture reflected the Spanish history of the area. Houses characteristically included stucco walls, wrought-iron grillwork, and glazed accent tiles. They usually had courtyards or other outdoor living areas. Terra-cotta tile roofs were common.
In the heartland of North America, Craftsman architecture reflected the unbroken horizon with Prairie style, developed by Frank Lloyd Wright. These houses were characterized by low, nearly flat roofs with deep overhangs. Heavily squared columns supported the porches, and geometric art glass windows were favored. The Darwin Martin complex in Buffalo, New York, is arguably Wright’s finest work of that period, and is now being restored.
Four-Square houses, which developed in the American Midwest, are another version of Craftsman architecture. The straightforward lines and practical squared shape represent the “honesty” prized by Arts and Crafts reformers. These houses were characterized by a square footprint and second story; sometimes the attic had dormers and was used as a third floor.
The most famous style of Craftsman architecture was the Bungalow, which could range from a tiny cottage to a very large house. Greene and Greene designed the Gamble House, now a museum, in Pasadena in the early 1900s, incorporating many Oriental elements. Other architects followed their lead, incorporating low, sweeping rooflines and verandas in their house plans.
The diversity of Craftsman architecture is fascinating. Each region created its own version of Arts and Crafts architecture, using local materials and honoring individual heritage.













