The Roycroft Community

Many people believe that Elbert Hubbard had no intention of starting a community when he purchased the land in East Aurora NY that would eventually become known as Roycroft. Whether he intended to or not, this parcel was destined to become a vast, wanting stage for some of the most productive and talented artisans in America at the time.

Hubbard started small, taking his Larkin Soap company payout and buying land and a home in East Aurora. He left for a short time to try a stint as a student at Harvard University in Boston. After finding college life not to his liking, he took a trip to Europe and was introduced to the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Upon his return home in 1895, he decided to ensure his own publishing success and created the Roycroft Press. With the press, he began printing a monthly magazine, Little Journeys, which he quickly followed with, The Philistine and the Roycroft Press’ first book, Song of Songs. His self published work was extremely popular and Hubbard soon became a cult hero. The true turning point to his fame came in 1899 after he printed, A Message to Garcia. A Message to Garcia was a passionate, pro-success essay with the core message, “There is no excellence, per se, in poverty; rags are no recommendation; & all employers are not rapacious and high-handed, any more than all poor men are virtuous.” Once this essay was printed, Hubbard’s star rose and his admirers traveled from miles away to meet him and work in his printing press. In the same year, in order to accommodate his ever growing group of employees, Hubbard built the Roycroft Chapel. Hubbard used the chapel for meetings and lectures. Many of the Roycroft visitors quickly became Roycroft residents and it was then that the artistically productive Roycroft campus was born.

Residents of Roycroft moved to New York from all over the United States. While some were already craftsmen and artists, others came to work as apprentices in their desired medium. Community members worked to produce furniture, lead and glass work, metal objects and, of course, books. After working hours, residents enjoyed the lectures of Hubbard in the chapel, attended picnics together and read magazines and literature produced by the Roycroft press.

In 1901, Hubbard’s entrepreneurial spirit overwhelmed him and he issued a catalogue to promote and sell the furniture produced at the Roycroft campus. The catalogue promised unique pieces for every buyer but with over 400 employees creating the furniture and more machine-crafting than hand-crafting, it is more than possible that the furniture produced was not unique for each individual buyer.

By 1910, the community had grown to 500 and remained productive until well after Hubbard’s death in 1915. The official demise of the Roycroft community was in 1938, which was also the year the Hubbard’s son sold The Roycroft Inn and is well after the Arts and Crafts Movement had fallen out of favor.

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