Charles Summer Greene (1868-1957)

Charles Sumner Greene worked in the Arts and Crafts style, designing large residences throughout California as well as furniture and other decorative arts. He practiced with his brother, Henry Mather Greene, for part of his career under the firm name Greene & Greene. Greene and his family moved to Carmel in 1916 where he worked only sporadically. During the later years of his life, Greene studied Eastern philosophies and pursued his interest in fictional writing.

The Charles Sumner Greene collection includes correspondence with family members, records of Greene’s travels, professional correspondence, and catalogs and samples from vendors and craftsmen. Project records form the largest part of the collection and consist of drawings, specifications, sketches, photographs and correspondence. Comprehensiveness varies greatly by project, but all phases of Greene’s career are represented including major projects such as the Thorsen, Fleishhacker, and James residences. Greene’s brother and partner, Henry Mather Greene, is also represented in correspondence and in records from the Greene & Greene firm.