Craftsman architecture (fl. 1900-1930) is an American residential style influenced by Britain's Arts and Crafts and Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie School architecture. A reaction against the mass production of the Industrial Revolution and the heavy ornamentation of other Victorian residential styles, such as Queen Anne and Shingle/Stick houses, it strived for a less ostentatious yet still hand-crafted design language.
The term "Craftsman" comes from Gustav Stickley's magazine "The Craftsman," which depicted furniture and interior design that would come to define the movement.
Craftsman architecture became popular around 1900 with the influence of Stickley's magazine and his 1909 book Craftsman Homes, along with the Arts and Crafts work of Greene and Greene in California. In addition, local organizations embraced the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement. Frank Lloyd Wright's similarly-styled Prairie School architecture was concurrent with the Craftsman movement and may have influenced some of its aesthetics. Plans and decorations from the movement were disseminated in pattern books of the time, popularizing it across the country.
Craftsman homes (sometimes called bungalows) have several characteristics that distinguish them from the preceding Victorian revival styles. They have a horizontal emphasis through low height and a wide plan. Exterior materials are generally wood, but some houses have stucco or masonry accents. Roofs are usually gabled, have a low pitch and wide overhangs, and the rafters are often exposed. Many have a front porch, which is supported by square columns that taper upward. Certain decorative features like corbels and other wood details may be present on the exterior, but they are often simple. Interiors feature copious woodwork and built-in cabinetry or storage.
By the 1930s, other residential styles such as Colonial Revival and early Modernism became more common choices for houses.