Consider William Butterfield. He was a key figure in the Gothic Revival. He left a lasting mark on London and beyond.
William Butterfield was born in London in 1814. His parents ran a chemist shop. They were strict non-conformists. He was one of nine children. Butterfield was educated at a local school. At 16, he apprenticed with a builder.
Butterfield later studied architecture. He established his own practice in 1840. His early life gave little hint of his future influence. In 1842, he connected with the Cambridge Camden Society. This group later became the Ecclesiological Society. They advocated for a return to Gothic architecture.
Butterfield drew religious inspiration from the Oxford Movement. He designed in the Victorian Gothic style. This style became known as Gothic Revival.
His design for All Saints, Margaret Street, launched the High Victorian Gothic era. The Ecclesiological Society sponsored it. Consecrated in 1859, it served as a model church. Red brick patterned with black brick defined its exterior. The interior featured marble and tile marquetry. Many saw All Saints as Italianate. Butterfield focused on 14th-century English design.
Butterfield extended his interests. He designed church furniture and interior decorations. He favored high-quality, durable materials. His faith and architecture were intertwined. His principles were rigid and austere. These traits appeared in his buildings. He used polychrome schemes and strong massing of shapes.
Butterfield preferred materials to provide color. He used colored tile and mosaic extensively. Brick, stone, alabaster, and marble were also common.
He designed Keble College at Oxford University. It honored John Keble. Keble’s philosophy inspired the Oxford Movement and Butterfield. The college showcases red brick with black and white accents. It is a “monument to High Victorian Gothic”.
After 1875, public taste for his High Gothic waned. He became less in demand. William Butterfield died in London in 1900. He was buried in Tottenham Cemetery. His tomb features a simple Gothic design. Butterfield designed it himself.