The Story of My House: 

Arts and Crafts Designs at

Greystone 1905-2005

Most people associate the phrase “Arts and Crafts” with late 19^th and early 20^th century rustic furniture, earth-hued ceramics, and comfortable bungalows.  The philosophical movement behind these objects, however, began more than one hundred and fifty years ago. Thomas Carlyle, an early 19^th century English writer, might be called the father of the movement.  His writings on the value of work and the past set the stage for others.  John Ruskin, art critic, followed with writings on the virtues of art, especially architecture, as embodying evidence of the human soul.

Olive and Wilford Arms were prominent Youngstown residents when they decided to build their home, Greystone, on Wick Avenue.  Olive Arms was enamored with the philosophy and design of the Arts and Crafts movement.  An accomplished artist, she was able to demonstrate to architects what she wanted in her home.  She had seen details in other homes that she would mimic at Greystone.  Her love of the Arts and Crafts aesthetic was played out in the planning of the home and its gardens, evidenced in her own sketches of room details, fireplace renderings, furniture designs, and wall finishes.

A new exhibit at the Arms Family Museum of Local History, titled, The Story of My House: Arts and Crafts Design at Greystone 1905-2005, explores the home’s design, from conception to realization.  With sketches drawn by Olive Arms, photographs of original room designs, and never before seen furniture and decorative objects, the exhibit demonstrates the Arts and Crafts influences in the Arms family home.

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society educates and promotes an interest in the history of the Mahoning Valley by collecting, preserving, and developing material representative of the people who have inhabited the region.

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