The Carmel Weavers Studio, also known as Cottage of Sweets, was Ruth Kuster's weavers studio, that was in front of the

Theatre of the Golden Bough The Theatre of the Golden Bough was located on Ocean Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. This "Golden Bough" was one of two in Carmel's history. It was destroyed by fire on May 19, 1935. History The theatre was designed and built by Edwa ...

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and ric ...

. Ruth Kuster was the wife of lawyer and theatrical producer

Edward G. Kuster Edward Gerhard Kuster (August 15, 1878 – September 1961) was a musician and attorney from Los Angeles for twenty-one years before coming to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in 1921. He became involved in theater and establish his own theatre and s ...

. The studio qualified for inclusion in the city's ''Downtown Historic District Property Survey,'' and was registered with the

California Register of Historical Resources The California Register of Historical Resources is a California state government program for use by state and local agencies, private groups, and citizens to identify, evaluate, register and protect California's historical resources. The register i ...

on January 27, 2003. The building is occupied by the Cottage of Sweets.

History

The Carmel Weavers Studio is a one-story, plaster and wood-framed

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

English cottage with a steep pitched side-gabled roof. Carmel stone flower planters are at the base of the building in front on Ocean Avenue and Monte Verde Street behind a Carmel stone court. The studio was built in September 1922 by

Lee Gottfried Lee Gottfried (July 12, 1896 –January 15, 1968) was an American master builder in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. He had a significant influence on the architecture of the Village of Carmel during his career. Gottfried was one of the main loc ...

for Ruth Kuster, the wife of lawyer and theatrical producer

. It housed her and two fellow local weavers, with their looms and spinning wheels. They made and sold woven scarves, hats, handbags, blankets, and other clothing articles. In July 1923, the studio was rolled down on logs from Dolores Street to the Court of the Golden Bough on Ocean Avenue. In August 1923, Gottfried expanded the studio with a design by Kuster that included a brick fireplace and a ticket booth for the

. At the same time, construction of Kuster's Seven Arts Shop was being planned as another shop for the courtyard. Kuster would have Gottfried build Sade's on the northeast side of the court in 1925. The building qualifies for inclusion in the ''Downtown Historic District Property Survey'' because it is one of the early commercial shops designed and funded by theatrical producer and lawyer Edward G. Kuster, and was built to compliment the Golden Bough Theatre. Carmel writer Daisy Bostick noted in an April 4, 1924 article for the ''

Carmel Pine Cone The ''Carmel Pine Cone'' is a weekly newspaper serving the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea and the surrounding Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Valley and Big Sur region of Monterey County in central California. Despite not having a digital presence, a PDF of t ...

'' that, "In Carmel-by-the-Sea, on Ocean avenue, there is a group of little shops that might well be transferred to an artist's canvas and labeled, ''A Bit of Old Europe.''" In 1926, lawyer and author

Tirey L. Ford Tirey Lafayette Ford (December 29, 1857 – June 26, 1928) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as a California State Senator and the 18th Attorney-General of California. He acted as General Counsel for the United Railroa ...

wrote a book about

Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under both ...

and talked about "A Bit Of Carmel," where he described Carmel's "Main Street," as: "A flavor of Italy is twisted into the wrought-iron sign swinging from the front of the Court of the Golden Bough, about which cluster some of the most interesting and lovely of the Carmel shops...The owner of the shops and theater which form the Court of the Golden Bough was a professional cellist, and formerly business manager of one of the largest symphony orchestras in the West. In 1959, Walter "Wally" Cullomore, from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

bought the shop and turned it into the Cottage of Sweets. In 1980, Lanny & Linda Rose took over the business and kept if for 39 years before selling it to Hans Hess and his family.

References

External links

Downtown Conservation District Historic Property Survey

Office of Historic Preservation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmel Weavers Studio 1922 establishments in California Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Buildings and structures in Monterey County, California

History

See also

References

External links