Crouch, Joseph 1859 - 1936

Joseph Crouch was born in Birmingham, England on 19 November 1859 and was the son of William Jeffs Crouch (c.1848-1912) a builder. From 1876 to 1880 he was articled to David Smith & Son in Birmingham. From 1880 to 1884 worked as an assistant in the offices of Thomas Naden and F. B. Endells in Birmingham and studied part-time at Birmingham School of Art. He then worked briefly for a Mr. Weaver in London and attended classes at the South Kensington Schools. He subsequently returned to Birmingham where in 1884 he set up his own practice at 39 Newhall Street.

In 1886 he formed a partnership with Edmund John Butler (1862-1946) as Crouch & Butler. In 1902 a third partner, Rupert Savage (1871-1956) joined the partnership which was renamed Crouch, Butler & Savage, although the practice seemed to be known as Crouch & Butler for some years after that.

During a long career (he did not retire until 1934, at the age of 75), Crouch was a prolific architect. Between 1884 and 1914 he designed over 60 industrial and commercial buildings, over 450 houses, 2 hotels, 10 non-conformist churches, as well as schools, colleges and workshops. Of the ten architectural competitions he entered, he won four.

Crouch was elected a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1911, and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1914. With Edmund Butler he was co-author of two books: The apartments of the House (1900), and Churches, Mission Halls and Schools for Non-comformists (1901). He was also the author of Puritanism in Art: An Enquiry into a Popular Fallacy (1910) and The Planning and Designing of a Methodist Church (1930).

Crouch died in Warwickshire on 2 April 1936.

Worked in

Works

Works by Crouch & Butler included Shop for George Cadbury, Great Hampton Street, Birmingham (1887); 56 houses, three shops and workshop for H. C. Fulford, New Town Row, St. Stephen's Street and Ashford Street, Birmingham (1888); Chapel, Mission Roome and caretaker's house, Inge Street, Long Acre, Birmingham (1888); Wesleyan Elementary School, Coventry Street, Birmingham (1888); 10 houses for Richard Rabone, Woodstock and Anderton Park Roads, Birmingham (1889); Baptist Chapel and School, St. Thomas and Charles Hentry Streets, Birmingham (1890); Factory, warehouse and shop, Oliver Street, Birmingham for Brampton & Co. (1890); Dactory, Hampton Street, Birmingham for N. S. Heeley (1890); Shop, Great Hampton Street for Green, Caper & Co. (1891); Shop, 5-7 Hockley Hill, Birngham for S. Dale (1891); Factory, Price Street, Birmingham for Bolt Addis (1891); 16 houses, Villiers Street, Winson Green, Birmingham (1891); Offices and shops for Dr Parks, Newhall and Lionel Streets, Birmingham (1891); Red Hill Elementary School, Yardley, Birmingham (1892); Red Hill Elementary Boad School, Hay Mill, Birmingham (1892); 8 houses for John Loughton off Bacchus Road, Birmingham (1893); Factory, Northwood Street, Birmingham for W. J. Baker (1893); Factory, Oliver Street, Birmingham for F. Brampton (1893); 16 houses and a shop for John Loughton, Leonard Street, Birmingham (1894); Lozells Methodist Church, Loizells Street, Birmingham (1894); 46 houses for H. C. Fulford, Kenhelm Road, Small Heath, Birmingham (1895); Wesleyan Chapel, Somerset House, Handsworth (1895); Premises, Livery Street, Birmingham for William Pope (1895); Shop, Shofield Street, Birmingham for F. Brampton (1895); 51 houses for H. C. Fulford, Kenhelm Road, Small Heath, Birmingham (1896); Gaiety Concert Hall, Gem Street, Birmingham for Weldon Watt (1896); Business premises, workshops and restaurants, 153-161 Corporation Street, Birmingham for A. R. Dean, furniture manufacturer and retailer (1896-99); Cycle factory, Sampson Road, Birmingham for A. W. G. Baxter (1897); Shop, 36 Darwin Street, Birmingham for Charles Hodges (1897); Aston Higher Grade Elementary School, Whitehead Road, Aston (1898); Business premises for Edgar Evans, Lancaster Street, Birmingham (1899); Kiln, Cleveland Street, Birmingham, for Morland Bros.; Sydenham Hotel, Golden Hillock and Anderton Roads, Small Heath, Birmingham for Thomas Leckie (1900); Broadway Lower School, Whitehead Road, Aston, Birmingham (1900); Wesleyan Mission Hall, Westgate Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1900).

Works by Crouch, Butler & Savage included Technical School, Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield (1903); New premises, Barwick Street, Birmingham for Barwick Estates (1903); Chapel, Wesleyan School, Streetley (1903); Congregational Chapel, Lea Road, Penn Fields, Wolverhampton (1905); Factory , Hockley Hill, Birmingham for S. Wall (1905); Wesleyan Church, Briton Ferry, Glamorgan (1906); Rawtenstall Municipal Building and library, Rawtenstall, Lancashire (1906); Holyfield Road Elementary School, Reddicap Heath, Sutton Coldfield (1906); Church hall, parsonage and caretaker's house, Four Oaks Methodist Church, Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield (1907); Public Library, Walsall Street, Wednsbury (1908); Wesleyan Church, Tyburn, Birmingham (1909); Wesleyan Church, Stockfield Green, Birmingham (1909); Wesleyan Church, Streetley, Birmingham (1909); Hostel for Girls, Corporation Street, Birmingham (1910); Brook Lane Elementary School, King's Heath, Birmingham (1911); Premises, Cornwall Street, Birmingham for Coud Bros. (1911); Women's Hostel, St. Mary's Row, Birmingham foe Wesleyan Central Committee (1912); New premises for Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, New Street, Birmingham (1912); Grammar School, Barnsley, Yorkshire (1914); 8 houses for F. Isherwood, Alum Park Road, Birmingham (1914; 114 houses, for F. Isherwood, Foxton Road, Saltley, Birmingham (1914); and 12 houses, for F. Isherwood, Hazelbeach Road, Saltley, Birmingham (1914)

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