About the Arts and Crafts Movement
Did you know?
The Arts and Crafts movement had its beginnings in England in the late 19th Century as an architectural revolution to reject all things mass-produced. The movement took hold in the United States in the early 20th century. Handcrafted traditions and the beauty of natural materials became widely used design principles in Arts and Crafts homes. Attention to fine detail and quality workmanship were the cornerstones of the architectural period.
Two notable American architectural styles, the Prairie School and Craftsmen were both influenced by the English Arts and Crafts movement.
Prairie School
The Prairie School emerged from a group of Chicago architects in the early 20th century. Most notable was Frank Lloyd Wright, considered the master architect of the Prairie style home. This architectural style features a low-pitched, symmetrical hipped roof with a wide overhang. Exterior detailing emphasizes horizontal elements of the structure’s façade. Massive masonry porch roof supports and decorative geometric or organic border designs are among other distinguishing Prairie School design elements.
Craftsmen/Bungalow
The Craftsmen style home had its beginnings in southern California, inspired by the work of two brothers, Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene. Their Craftsman style bungalow became the prevalent architectural style for smaller homes across the country from the early 1900s until the 1920s, and became known as the Bungalow. The Craftsman Bungalow features a low-pitched gable roof with exposed rafters and decorative eave braces, a deep porch and handcrafted interior built-ins. Porch and roof supports are often tapered, square columns set atop masonry piers. Natural materials and quality workmanship are the core elements of the Craftsmen movement.
Sources/Credits:
The architectural and historical information found in TruStile’s Authentic Designs section was compiled by TruStile research using the following resources:
- Carley, Rachel. 1994. The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture.
New York: Henry Holt and Co. c Roundtable Press, Inc.
ISBN 0-8050-4563-5 - McAlester, V. and Mcalester L. 1984. A Field Guide to American Houses.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf. c Randomhouse.
ISBN 0-394-73969-8 - Blumenson, John J.-G. 1977, 1981. Identifying American Architecture.
New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
ISBN 0-393-30610-0 - Hull, Brent. 2003. Historic Millwork.
New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISBN 0-471-41622-3 - Walker, Lester. 1981. American Homes.
New York: Black Dog & Leventhal.
ISBN 1-57912-252-3
