The trustees (a group of men and women) agreed, according to Horowitz, that the architect they chose should be based on Kaufmann’s ability to “give the dormitories the appearance and atmosphere of a beautiful home.” They also, significantly, built the first residence hall - Toll Hall - before any other academic buildings or libraries those could come later, but “young women needed the supervision and the common life of a college dormitory.” While building Scripps’ campus, much of the planning was overtly based on gendered norms and expectations. This decision set Scripps apart in two key ways: first, it recognized the Spanish and Mexican heritage of Southern California, and second, it broke away from the traditional “collegiate Gothic” architecture of most men’s or coeducational schools.

Īccording to historian Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, who writes about American women’s colleges, the original Scripps trustees deliberately chose to build their school in this more “Californian” style. In Santa Barbara, for example, the county courthouse (built in 1929) is a famous example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture that plays off of the Spanish architecture of the city’s original mission. It was built in the early 20th century Spanish Colonial Revival style, which is characterized by white stucco walls, red terracotta roofs, painted tiles, curves and arches and an overall influence of Spanish colonial architecture. Scripps was founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1926 at the urging of former Pomona College President James Blaisdell. It is no accident that it looks the way it does: a lovely, pretty oasis removed and protected from the outside world. Scripps is a historically women’s college. In fact, Kaufmann also designed the famed La Quinta resort, located in the desert near Palm Springs, around the same time that he worked on Scripps. “Wait, are we in Italy or something? This is so beautiful!”īased on extremely accurate personal anecdotal research, this is by far the most common phrase uttered when visitors stroll onto the Scripps College campus for the first time, smelling the orange blossoms, hearing the bubbling tiled fountains and contemplating the backdrop of mountains from a balcony.įounded in 1926 and designed by architect Gordon Kaufmann, the Spanish Colonial Revival buildings, courtyards and landscaping of Scripps are so pleasant, lush and calm that it can seem more like a resort than an academic institution. The Spanish Colonial Revival buildings, landscaping, and overall style of the campus make Scripps College feel more like a resort than an academic institution.

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