Ruth Maxon Adams facts for kids

Ruth Maxon Adams (born in 1883, died in 1970) was an American architect. She was known for designing many buildings, especially homes, and for her unique ideas about community living.

Early Life and Education

Ruth Maxon Adams grew up in New Haven, Connecticut. She was the only child of George Burton Adams, who was a professor at Yale University. When she was a child, Ruth visited England with her father. There, she first learned about William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. This movement focused on traditional craftsmanship and simple forms.

Ruth graduated from Vassar College in 1904. At that time, she did not plan to become an architect.

Starting Her Design Career

Six years after college, Ruth decided to study interior design. She enrolled at the New York School of Applied Design for Women. In 1914, Vassar College asked her to redesign some of their campus buildings.

The next year, she opened her own interior design business in New York City. One of her first projects was to design a house for two Vassar professors. Over the next 40 years, Ruth designed at least six homes for Vassar College. These houses had different styles, including medieval, Tudor, and neoclassical designs. She also worked as a design helper for Vassar until 1942. In this role, she kept track of all the buildings the college owned each year.

Yelping Hill Community

In 1921, Ruth Maxon Adams became the architect for Yelping Hill. This was a special private community in West Cornwall, Connecticut. It was started by several families, including writers and professors, who wanted a summer place. They wanted it to feel like the Quaker camps in the Poconos, which focused on community.

Ruth designed all the homes in Yelping Hill. She also helped plan the entire community. She even worked as the construction foreman, overseeing the building work. The houses at Yelping Hill were unique because they did not have kitchens. Everyone ate together in a shared dining room. Childcare was also a shared task among the community members.

Architecture experts believe that Ruth's ideas and designs for Yelping Hill showed her feminist beliefs. Even though she focused on architecture, Ruth preferred to call herself a "designer" rather than an architect.

Legacy

Ruth Maxon Adams' work and achievements are kept in the archives at Vassar College. The records about her work with Yelping Hill are stored at the Yelping Hill Association Archives. In Spanish: Ruth Maxon Adams para niños