Greene and Greene
Encyclopedia
Greene and Greene was an architectural firm established by brothers Charles Sumner Greene (1868–1957) and Henry Mather Greene (1870–1954), influential early 20th Century American architect
s. Active primarily in California
, their bungalow
houses and larger-scale ultimate bungalow
s are prime exemplars of the American Arts and Crafts Movement
.
, and on their mother's family farm in West Virginia
while their father attended medical school.
As teenagers, the brothers studied at the Manual Training School of Washington University in St. Louis, graduating in 1887-1888. There they studied metalwork and woodworking. Their father, a practicing homeopathic physician by this time, was very concerned with the need for sunlight and circulating fresh air; the importance of these elements was to become one of the signatures of the brothers' work.
Charles and Henry each received a "certificate for completion of partial course," a special two-year program at MIT's School of Architecture
, in 1891. They studied classical building styles, intending at that time only to gain certification for apprenticeships with architecture and construction firms upon graduation.
After M.I.T. in spring 1890, Charles apprenticed first with the firm of Andrews, Jaques and Rantoul; but after four and a half months, moved to the office of R. Clipston Sturgis. By March 1891, he had moved again to work with Herbert Langford Warren; and by the following November, he had changed again to the firm of Winslow and Wetherell. He would stay there until the two brothers departed to join their parents in Pasadena, California
. Henry apprenticed first with the firm of Chamberlin & Austin and then briefly went to work with Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
. All of the firms the brothers worked for were located in Boston
, Mass.
In 1893 their parents requested that the sons move to Pasadena, where they had moved to a year before. The brothers agreed and, while traveling by train from Boston, they stopped at the World's Columbian Exposition
in Chicago and saw a few examples of Japanese architecture
. This experience made a lasting impression on both of them, according to a late-in-life interview with Henry. There was actually very little Japanese influence upon their work until after Charles visited the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.
The Architectural firm of Greene and Greene was established in Pasadena in January 1894, eventually building toward the crescendo of their "ultimate bungalow
s", such as the 1908 Gamble House in Pasadena, generally considered one of the finest examples of residential architecture in the United States.
Two other landmark ultimate bungalows were the Robert R. Blacker House
in Pasadena and the Thorsen House
. Such ultimate bungalows were completely custom affairs, where the vast majority of ingredients — light fixtures, furniture, even woven textiles — were created for specific spaces in the home.
In 1901 Charles Greene married Alice Gordon White, and they honeymooned in Europe and her native England. It was following this trip that the firm began developing the distinctive stylistic elements that finally came together as a cohesive whole in their grand works of 1907-09. The Greenes developed a personal idiom within the Arts and crafts
aesthetic, receiving commissions to design furnishings for their houses. Charles' sketches for the 1903 Mary Darling house were published in England in Academy Architecture the same year, representing the first foreign publication of the firm's work.
In 1905 the Greenes began an association with Peter Hall as the primary contractor for their major commissions, and from 1907 with his brother John Hall, who ran a millwork shop producing their decorative arts and furniture designs.
The firm of Greene & Greene was officially dissolved in 1922 after Charles moved his family north to Carmel, California. Henry remained in Pasadena, doing architecture projects on his own. The brothers remained lifelong friends until their deaths in the 1950s.
]
The Greenes took on few commercial projects. Their attention to detail would not have been possible in a larger firm, or one that focused on commercial buildings as well as residential. The Greenes repeatedly turned down offers to construct buildings in downtown Los Angeles. The Greene brothers were masters in their area of domestic concentration for which, until the year of 1948, they received little acclaim. In 1948 they received citations from the Pasadena Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
and from the national body in 1952 for creating a “new and native architecture.” In 1960, they were among the pioneer modern architects included in the book Five California Architects by Esther McCoy
, where the chapter on the Greenes was written by Randall Makinson.
The Greene & Greene style's influence on California’s architectural history is undeniable. Their style wedded practical comfort and fine art into a refined, crafted masterpiece in which every detail contributed to the overall subtlety of the work, essentially a masterpiece of design.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s. Active primarily in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, their bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
houses and larger-scale ultimate bungalow
Ultimate bungalow
Ultimate bungalow is a term most commonly used to describe very large and detailed Craftsman style homes, taking the bungalow style and interpreting it on a large scale. The style is associated with such California architects as Greene and Greene, Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan...
s are prime exemplars of the American Arts and Crafts Movement
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
.
Biography
The brothers were born in Brighton, Ohio, now part of Cincinnati, in 1868 and 1870, respectively. They grew up primarily in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and on their mother's family farm in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
while their father attended medical school.
As teenagers, the brothers studied at the Manual Training School of Washington University in St. Louis, graduating in 1887-1888. There they studied metalwork and woodworking. Their father, a practicing homeopathic physician by this time, was very concerned with the need for sunlight and circulating fresh air; the importance of these elements was to become one of the signatures of the brothers' work.
Charles and Henry each received a "certificate for completion of partial course," a special two-year program at MIT's School of Architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, in 1891. They studied classical building styles, intending at that time only to gain certification for apprenticeships with architecture and construction firms upon graduation.
After M.I.T. in spring 1890, Charles apprenticed first with the firm of Andrews, Jaques and Rantoul; but after four and a half months, moved to the office of R. Clipston Sturgis. By March 1891, he had moved again to work with Herbert Langford Warren; and by the following November, he had changed again to the firm of Winslow and Wetherell. He would stay there until the two brothers departed to join their parents in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. Henry apprenticed first with the firm of Chamberlin & Austin and then briefly went to work with Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge was a successful architecture firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, operating between 1886 and 1915, with extensive commissions in monumental civic and collegiate architecture in the spirit and style of Henry Hobson Richardson....
. All of the firms the brothers worked for were located in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Mass.
In 1893 their parents requested that the sons move to Pasadena, where they had moved to a year before. The brothers agreed and, while traveling by train from Boston, they stopped at the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in Chicago and saw a few examples of Japanese architecture
Japanese architecture
' originated in prehistoric times with simple pit-houses and stores that were adapted to a hunter-gatherer population. Influence from Han Dynasty China via Korea saw the introduction of more complex grain stores and ceremonial burial chambers....
. This experience made a lasting impression on both of them, according to a late-in-life interview with Henry. There was actually very little Japanese influence upon their work until after Charles visited the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.
Ultimate bungalows
Ultimate bungalow
Ultimate bungalow is a term most commonly used to describe very large and detailed Craftsman style homes, taking the bungalow style and interpreting it on a large scale. The style is associated with such California architects as Greene and Greene, Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan...
s", such as the 1908 Gamble House in Pasadena, generally considered one of the finest examples of residential architecture in the United States.
Two other landmark ultimate bungalows were the Robert R. Blacker House
Robert R. Blacker House
Not to be confused with the house that is part of the House System at the California Institute of TechnologyThe Robert Roe Blacker House, often referred to as the Blacker House or Robert R. Blacker House, is a residence in Pasadena, California, which is now on the U.S. National Register of Historic...
in Pasadena and the Thorsen House
Thorsen House
The William R. Thorsen House, often referred to as the Thorsen House, was built in 1909 in Berkeley, California by William Randolph and Caroline Canfield Thorsen. Designed by Henry and Charles Greene, of the renowned Pasadena firm of Greene & Greene, in the American Craftsman style of the Arts and...
. Such ultimate bungalows were completely custom affairs, where the vast majority of ingredients — light fixtures, furniture, even woven textiles — were created for specific spaces in the home.
In 1901 Charles Greene married Alice Gordon White, and they honeymooned in Europe and her native England. It was following this trip that the firm began developing the distinctive stylistic elements that finally came together as a cohesive whole in their grand works of 1907-09. The Greenes developed a personal idiom within the Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...
aesthetic, receiving commissions to design furnishings for their houses. Charles' sketches for the 1903 Mary Darling house were published in England in Academy Architecture the same year, representing the first foreign publication of the firm's work.
In 1905 the Greenes began an association with Peter Hall as the primary contractor for their major commissions, and from 1907 with his brother John Hall, who ran a millwork shop producing their decorative arts and furniture designs.
The firm of Greene & Greene was officially dissolved in 1922 after Charles moved his family north to Carmel, California. Henry remained in Pasadena, doing architecture projects on his own. The brothers remained lifelong friends until their deaths in the 1950s.
A structural explosion
The structure of the Greene & Greene house is essential not only to the immense feeling of security that such an overly-supported structure brings, but also accentuates the importance of the Arts & Crafts fundamentals in the Greene & Greene style. The visual importance of the aesthetic nature of the joints, pegs, and complex wood-work symbolizes the structure of the house, and coincides with the principles taught in the Manual Training School of their youth. The structure of the house is externalized, or exploded, rather than hidden in decoration. Each element of the structure asserts itself. This extravagance of support takes its origins from the elaborate joinery and framing of traditional Japanese architecture.Obscurity and rediscovery
The Greenes took on few commercial projects. Their attention to detail would not have been possible in a larger firm, or one that focused on commercial buildings as well as residential. The Greenes repeatedly turned down offers to construct buildings in downtown Los Angeles. The Greene brothers were masters in their area of domestic concentration for which, until the year of 1948, they received little acclaim. In 1948 they received citations from the Pasadena Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
and from the national body in 1952 for creating a “new and native architecture.” In 1960, they were among the pioneer modern architects included in the book Five California Architects by Esther McCoy
Esther McCoy
Esther McCoy was an author and architectural historian who was instrumental in bringing to the attention of the world the modern architecture of California.-Early life and education:...
, where the chapter on the Greenes was written by Randall Makinson.
The Greene & Greene style's influence on California’s architectural history is undeniable. Their style wedded practical comfort and fine art into a refined, crafted masterpiece in which every detail contributed to the overall subtlety of the work, essentially a masterpiece of design.
See also
- Robert R. Blacker HouseRobert R. Blacker HouseNot to be confused with the house that is part of the House System at the California Institute of TechnologyThe Robert Roe Blacker House, often referred to as the Blacker House or Robert R. Blacker House, is a residence in Pasadena, California, which is now on the U.S. National Register of Historic...
- Gamble House
- Thorsen HouseThorsen HouseThe William R. Thorsen House, often referred to as the Thorsen House, was built in 1909 in Berkeley, California by William Randolph and Caroline Canfield Thorsen. Designed by Henry and Charles Greene, of the renowned Pasadena firm of Greene & Greene, in the American Craftsman style of the Arts and...
Further reading
—scholarly look at the architecture's appeal; and —on restoring a bungalow with Greene and Greene-inspired style.External links
- Greene and Greene Virtual Archives at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. - Greene & Greene Biography
- map of all standing Greene & Greene structures
- Biography at the Gamble House website