10/07/2026
Join us this Saturday, October 10, for the first session of “Anti-domestic: An Alternative Architectural History of Gustav Stickley.”
Led by Dr. Willa Granger, our new Curator of Education and Collections, this series will consider the broader architectural history of Gustav Stickley, exploring the diverse spaces and places that facilitated his entrepreneurship. We will examine and hypothesize about how Stickley existed in, reacted to, and shaped buildings ranging from the furniture shop at Auburn State Prison to his factory in Syracuse and his tall building in Manhattan, down to the very infrastructure—train networks, lumberyards, and beyond—that enabled the Craftsman vision. In telling this alternative architectural history, we can better understand the man, positioning him less exclusively as a visionary Arts and Crafts crusader and more as a businessman and property owner navigating the complex and contradictory terrain of Progressive-era America.
https://www.stickleymuseum.org/fall-2026-lecture-series/
When we think of Gustav Stickley, we often think of Craftsman furniture, Arts and Crafts interiors, and the ideal American home. But Stickley’s architectural story extends far beyond domestic spaces.
This fall, the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms presents “Anti-domestic: An Alternative Architectural History of Gustav Stickley,” a six-part virtual lecture series exploring the factories, offices, transportation networks, industrial spaces—and even a prison furniture shop—that shaped Stickley’s career and Craftsman vision.
The series also offers a fascinating new perspective on one of New Jersey’s important historic places: Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains. Stickley’s famous Log House was originally conceived not simply as a private home, but as a camp lodge and communal gathering place.
📅 FALL 2026 VIRTUAL LECTURE SERIES
▪️ Oct. 10 — Convict-Laborer-Craftsman: Stickley's Prison Problem
▪️ Oct. 17 — Factory Made: The Industrial Spaces of Gustav Stickley
▪️ Oct. 24 — The Tall Office Building Craftily Considered: Stickley’s Property in Manhattan
▪️ Nov. 7 — The “Lodge” House: Rustic Visions in Suburban New Jersey
▪️ Nov. 14 — The Interlinked Land: Trains and Transit
▪️ Nov. 21 — The Craftsman House Migrates: Workaday Builders, Plan Book Makers, and the Craftsman Legacy
💻 All programs are presented virtually via Zoom from 1–2 p.m. Participants can register for individual lectures or the complete six-part series.
Together, the lectures position Stickley not only as an Arts and Crafts visionary, but also as a businessman, entrepreneur, manufacturer, and property owner navigating the rapidly changing landscape of Progressive-era America.
🔗 Learn more and register:
https://www.stickleymuseum.org/fall-2026-lecture-series/
