American Craftsman

The pioneering architectural styles that brought American designers to the fore enjoyed its heyday during the 19th Century and early 20th Century before being swamped by modernist movements.

However, it continues to enjoy mini-revivals to this day, especially among the decorative arts, in tribute to its visionary retort to Victorian arrogance.

The name hails from The Craftsman magazine, published by furniture maker Gustav Stickley in the early 1900s. The American Craftsman style was famous for clean lines, strong construction and natural resources and was inspired by homegrown pillars such as Shaker furniture and Mission style.

Some of the modern American Craftsman heroes include David Owen Dryden, who is credited with building San Diego’s North Park area building Craftsman bungalows.

Frank Lloyd Wright, who practically founded the Prairie School concept, played a major role in developing middle-class home design ideas during the early 20th Century.

A key milestone in the evolution of American architecture was when the middle-class took over from the opulent class and designed their houses to suit new and more practical needs.

The basic American Victorian structure was a two-storey square house, with bays, round or octagon-shaped turrets and sweeping porches making for a busy and segmented frontage.

At the rear, a stand-alone servants enclave had its own entrance with the hired help having access to a kitchen and other work areas. In short, it was a house built for two classes of people.

However, with the middle-class gaining a foothold on society, the need for servants’ quarters and hidden kitchens disappeared as housewives performed most of the chores, including cooking, and felt more comfortable with easy passage to, and clear views of, the main living areas.

The global impact of the middle-class takeover was the rise of the breakfast nook in the kitchen. This became the focal point of the house, where family members would most often meet and a new kitchen meal culture developed. Indeed, such meals can be seen occurring all over the world in houses that have room enough in the kitchen for a breakfast table.

Similar entries

• Canadian bungalow
• American Craftsman Bungalow
• Dingbat - Mid-20th Century Mass Housing Solution to the Burgeoning American Middle-Class
• Ranch Bungalow
• Longhouses in Borneo, Southeast Asia
• Ultimate Bungalow
• Bungalow - Elegant One Story Housing
• Flats/Apartments
• Colonial Revival Style - The American Nationalistic Movement in Architecture
• Long house – Earliest Permanent House Buildings
• Châteauesque – 16th Century French Design in 19th Century USA
• Georgian Architecture - Style That Lasted a Century
• Gothic Revival in the Decorative Arts
• Cape Cod Houses
• Italianate Architecture