In My Ain Countrie: Thomas MacLaren, Walter Farquhar Douglas, and Thompson Duncan Hetherington; a transnational case study of Scottish migration

Abstract

ABSTRACT While inarguably linked to the larger body of Scots who emigrated from their homeland at the long turn of the twentieth century, the migrant experiences of Thomas MacLaren, Walter Farquhar Douglas, and Thompson Duncan Hetherington stand in contrast to those commonly attributed to Scottish immigrants. As young, skilled immigrants in a newly settled land, the three Scottish-trained architects brought with them an adherence to the design principles and philosophies they had embraced in Britain, the cradle of the Arts and Crafts Movement. What resulted were the design and construction of commercial, residential, and ecclesiastic structures in Colorado Springs, CO that were as authentic and unique as any designed at the turn of the twentieth century. Indeed, MacLaren, Douglas, and Hetherington were able to influence both the built and social environments, using their professional prestige to philanthropic ends in both their former and new homelands. Based on research conducted in archives throughout Scotland and in Colorado Springs, as well as previously unexamined primary source material, this manuscript contributes an original narrative to the collective body of regional, transnational, and cultural history. Examined from both a macrocosmic and microcosmic perspective, this manuscript examines the lives of MacLaren, Douglas, and Hetherington – including the factors leading to their emigration and the unique and significant transnational consequences of their migration.