Richard Teller Crane, Jr. – A Man for His Time

Richard Teller Crane, Jr., of Chicago, joined the Jekyll Island Club in 1912 and was about to become the CEO of Crane Company, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of plumbing fixtures and specialty plumbing products in the United States at the time. He had come to this pinnacle in his career by dint of an education at Yale University, hard work and diligence in his father’s company, and a reputation for strict honesty and responsible business practices.

During that year, Crane and his wife, the former Florence Higginbotham, were among the socially prominent of Chicago. Mr. Crane belonged to no fewer than nine prestigious social organizations including the Union League, the Chicago Athletic Club, and the Chicago Yacht Club. He shortly thereafter added to the list the Racquet and Tennis Club of New York, the New York Yacht Club and the Mount Royal Club of Montreal.

The Crane Company was experiencing, along with the rest of the nation, the tremendous technological and financial expansion of American industry. And, Richard T. Crane, Jr., epitomized the creative energy of those on the leading edge of this prosperity.

Among the many cultural advancements leading up to the 1900s, was the staggering number of new cities emerging in the United States and the growth of existing ones. Prior to that explosion of urbanization, bathrooms did not seem to be much of a concept, certainly not an imperative.

Mostly, houses built before 1900 did not have bathrooms. That is, the very idea of having a room in a home dedicated to grooming and personal hygiene was nearly non-existent. Although bathing facilities can be traced to ancient Roman times and before, the bathtub in the second half of the 1800’s was a portable affair. In most homes, a metal-lined, wooden tub might be brought into the kitchen near the source of heat and water once a week. There they were used and then returned to out-of-the-way storage until the next Saturday. Taking a bath was a chore.

The time had come, however, for the modern bathroom to make its entrance into American homes. The Crane Company had the right resources to make that happen. The company, begun by the senior Richard Teller Crane in 1855, had half a century of experience manufacturing pipes, fittings, and valves, and they had a far-flung distribution system for their products. Now, with the leadership and marketing expertise of R.T. Crane, Jr, the Crane Company was in the right place in the right manufacturing position at the right time.

The bathroom came into its own. Bathtubs and other fixtures were enameled. They were a glossy white and tubs had artfully curving legs. Everyone wanted a bathroom. Richard T. Crane helped to convince them of that. By the 1920’s, American building codes would require an indoor bathroom in all new single-family residential construction.

Mr. and Mrs. Crane visited the Jekyll Island Club each season during this time, and decided to build a cottage here of their own. When the lot just north of the Clubhouse became available in 1914, they moved quickly to secure it and hired their favorite Chicago architectural team, David Adler and Henry C. Dangler, to design it. Their wishes were for an Italian Renaissance design with many beautiful features including a central courtyard…and 17 bathrooms. Some of the other club members hinted that the “cottage” was pretentious, but construction went forward, and the Cranes’ Jekyll Island retreat was ready for them in January, 1919. Crane and his family continued to enjoy Crane Cottage, he until his death in 1931. Florence Crane deeded the cottage to her children in 1939.

Today, magnificent Crane Cottage is part of the hotel’s collection. Rooms and suites are available for overnight accommodations, and the entire cottage is available for wedding parties and conferences. To the south of the structure is a large formal garden with fountains at both ends and an upper-level brick terrace. The Riverfront Lawn faces the west and beautiful sunsets; the building’s inner fountain courtyard is surrounded by arcaded loggias and is the location of the renowned Courtyard at Crane restaurant.

Each of the rooms and suites has a lovely bathroom with Crane fixtures that were donated by the Crane Plumbing Company in 2001. Historic Crane Cottage underwent two years of extensive renovations before re-opening as part of the Jekyll Island Club Hotel in that year.