Rustic stone and rock fireplaces have been around for centuries and, un- doubtedly, will continue to be built for centuries from now . . . . .
There is something very primal, yet comforting, about sitting around a stone hearth
with a crackling fire. It gives us an opportunity, at least for a moment in time, to
get back to our roots.
Cottage pictured above by master stone artisan, Lew French.
Nothing beats coming home to a cozy rock fireplace to warm your hearth . . . . . . .
. . . . . AND your heart!
It was around 1860 when the
Arts and Crafts Movement
began in England and continued until well into the first quarter of the 20th century. The
move- ment began as a protest against machine-age artificiality and sought, in the face of the
grim industrialization of the 19th century, to create new and more pleasing living environments
for people by utilizing natural building mate- rials in their homes and by employing fine
craftsmanship in assembling those materials.
Spearheading the movement were English critic John Ruskin (1819-1900) and
artist and designer William Morris (1834-1896). Both men fervently believed
in honesty of materials and craftsmanship.
The movement brought about a distinct American off- shoot -- the
Craftsman Style
-- in which vernacular forms were often used. Leader of the American Arts and
Crafts Movement,
Gustav Stickley
(1858-1942) promoted a holistic view of living, seeking beauty and creativity in simplicity
and organic harmony. Crafts- manship was used to reveal the innate qualities of natural materials.
Stickley's publication, The Crafts- man (1901-1916), featured numerous illustrations of
cozy rock fireplaces -- two of which are shown below, left.
Some of the greatest examples of
American Craftsman Style
architecture can be found in the works of the
Greene brothers.
California architects Charles and Henry Greene (1868-1957, 1870-1954) created numerous
architectural masterpieces in wood and stone. A seamless union of simplicity and
sophis- ticated detail with meticulous attention to building materials and natural sur- roundings,
many of their houses are models of timeless home design.
The ideal of the Craftsman home was an honest and beautiful building, well planned for efficient use of space and materials, built to last several generations, and with- in the means of the average family . . . . .
The Craftsman Style of architectural design advocated four basic principles:
1. A style of building designed to fit the ways people actually lived,
2. Designed to have the best structural outline and the simplest form,
3. Designed to incorporate materials that belong to the surrounding countryside and that are in harmony with the landscape, and . . . . .
4. Rendered in colors that are pleasing to the eye.
Simply stated, form followed function in the Craftsman home and, whenever possible, it was completely integrated with its natural surroundings.
Generally less grand than the Adirondack Style but, nevertheless, possessing all the superb quality of workmanship, the Arts and Crafts, or Craftsman Style was simple and organic, as shown in the photos below.
The stone hearth design pictured at left is by master stone artisan, Lew French.
On a more human scale than the massive lodge-like stone hearths of
Adirondack "Great Camp" structures, the cozy rock fireplaces of the Arts and Crafts
Move- ment were well-suited for cottages and bungalows -- a tradition that continues to
this day.
Recommended Reading
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