Craftsman Bungalows in Lansing

The house style we refer to as the Craftsman Bungalow began to appear in the first decades of the 20th century, with most being built in Lansing between 1910 and 1920. The bungalow was the product of the American Arts & Crafts Movement, particularly the work of Gustav Stickley. Designs for bungalows were a central feature of his Craftsman magazine, which outlined the theoretical basis for Arts & Craft design in America.

The bungalow slyle is dispersed throughout all areas of Lansing which were incorporated by the mid-1920s. If there is an area where they are most predominant, it would probably be the southwest side of the city, between Washington Avenue and Martin Luther King Blvd. They are least predominant in the downtown area of the city.

The Craftsman Bungalow constituted a clear break with the Queen Anne style homes still being built into the second decade of the 20th century in Lansing. Whereas the Queen Anne and other Victorian styles are noted for such "excesses" as copius ornamentation and gingerbread, the Craftsman Style was typified by a more natural (and native) look. Where the Victorian styles looked to England for inspiration, the Craftsman Style looked to local building traditions and materials, which in Lansing and the rest of Michigan meant extravagant use of fine woodwork. The use of native materials and traditions made the Craftsman style the most "American" of all architectural styles up to that point.

The interiors of Craftsman Style homes tried to produce a feeling of simple elegance and comfort. A fireplace was required of a true Craftsman Style home, though as the bungalow style entered the 1920s more modern furnaces (steam, gas/air) and an increasing functionality saw many bunaglows built without fireplaces.

Below are example images of bungalows which can be found in Lansing.

Michael Kolhoff

Built in 1912
Built in 1916
Built in 1917
Built in 1923
RETURN TO MAIN PAGE