Frank Lloyd Wright was a genius, an architectural visionary whose work was light years ahead of its time. Even today, some of his buildings look as if they belong to the 21st Century. The futuristic Guggenheim Museum in New York or Fallingwater, the exquisite private residence in rural Pennsylvania, designed in 1936 for a Pittsburgh department store owner, come immediately to mind.
Fortunately, Chicagoans don`t have to go far to see Wright`s work. Many of his structures-mostly private residences but also a few public buildings-are in the Chicago area.
The largest concentration of Wright-designed buildings is in west surburban Oak Park. The architect lived and worked in Oak Park from 1889 until 1909. The Wright Home and Studio, a must for anyone who appreciates Wright`s work, was built in 1889 with additions made in 1895, 1898 and 1911.
Wright settled in Oak Park when it was a small village on the western edge of Chicago. He attracted a loyal contingent of apprentices and followers. These Wright disciples included Walter Burley Griffin, William Drummond, George W. Maher, John Van Bergen and Eben E. Roberts. Many of their works also survive.
Wright created what came to be called the Prairie School of architecture, an indigenous type of American architecture that was firmly rooted in the Midwestern heartland and, in its execution, captured the architectural equivalent of the flat Midwestern landscape.
The following is a selective description of Wright-designed residences and public buildings in Chicago and suburbs, followed by related architecture, tours and suggested reading. Wright, unlike such other famous Chicago architects as John Wellborn Root and Louis Sullivan, chose to concentrate on domestic architecture. Thus, many of the structures listed here are private homes. Consequently, we request that visitors respect the privacy of the owners.
Oak Park buildings
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Ave. (1889-1911);
708-848-1976. Regular tours (see Tours, below, for details). Wright designed this elegant yet cozy cottage in a modified shingle style in 1889 for his bride when he was only 22. The house is full of exciting details: high back chairs, earth-tone colors, exquisite glass panels, vaulted ceilings, murals depicting American Indians. The playroom, arguably the most impressive room in the house, evokes the feeling of a sacred sanctuary. In it, suspended under the gallery stairs, is a grand piano. Wright and his family often performed or listened to music in this lovely room.
The octagonally shaped studio consists of the drafting room and the library. A series of columns decorated with plaster castings-the book of knowledge, the tree of life-set in bronze flanks the entranceway. The centerpiece of the studio is the two-story drafting room, which surrounds an immense fireplace.
Wright sold the home and studio in 1925. Subsequent owners did not take proper care of the building. In 1974 the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Foundation was formed to preserve the living and working quarters of the famous architect. From 1974 to 1987, the foundation worked diligently to restore the structure to its original condition at a cost of $2.2 million. This mammoth undertaking involved 30 architects and designers, 80 contractors and craftspeople and thousands of volunteers. In 1976 the building was designated a National Historic Landmark. The foundation, a nonprofit corporation, sponsors tours, lectures, workshops and special programs;
individual membership in the foundation is $25.
Other Wright homes in Oak Park, arranged roughly in a geographical pattern:
H.P. Young House, 334 N. Kenilworth Ave. (1895). With its gable roofs and diamond-pane glass windows, the Young House recalls the architecture of medieval England.
Robert P. Parker House, 1019 Chicago Ave. (1892). An early Wright design. Thomas H. Gale House, 1027 Chicago Ave. (1892). Similar in design to the Parker House-octagonal bay windows and high-pitched roofs.
Walter H. Gale House, 1031 Chicago Ave. (1893). Wright`s first completed commission, done in Queen Anne style, after leaving Louis Sullivan`s fold.
Francis J. Woolley House, 1030 Superior St. (1893). Another early work;
built for a prominent attorney.
Nathan G. Moore House, 333 Forest Ave. (1895, 1923). Originally built in 1895 for one of Wright`s neighbors, it suffered extensive damage after a fire. Wright rebuilt it in 1923 in, at the client`s request, a half-timbered Tudor style.
Dr. William H. Copeland House, 400 Forest Ave. (1908-1909). Only the remodeling and garage are by Wright of this Italian-style house built in 1873. In 1908 Wright added a garage as well as extensive exterior alterations, including a new tile roof, porches and entranceway. Wright also redesigned the interior to conform more closely to his own vision.
Arthur Heurtley House, 318 Forest Ave. (1902). Built for a wealthy banker. The Heurtley house evokes a Japanese temple.
Edward R. Hills House, 313 Forest Ave. (1906). Another example of East meeting West. Wright built the Hills House after a trip to Japan. It incorporates Prairie elements with a decidedly Japanese feel.
Laura Gale House, 6 Elizabeth Ct. (1909). The Gale House is notable for its severely geometric shape.
Peter A. Beachy House, 238 Forest Ave. (1906). Brick and stucco house designed for a banker.
Frank W. Thomas House, 210 Forest Ave. (1901). Wright`s first Prairie-style home in Oak Park as well as his first all-stucco house in Oak Park. The arched entrance and leaded glass windows are typical prairie characteristics. George W. Smith House, 404 Home Ave. (1898). Built for a salesman for Marshall Field & Co.
George W. Furbeck House, 223 N. Euclid Ave. (1897). Most prominent feature of this brick house is its octagonal towers.
Charles E. Roberts House, 321 and 317 N. Euclid Ave. (1896). Only the remodeling and stable are by Wright on this Queen Anne-style house.
Rollin Furbeck House, 515 Fair Oaks Ave. (1897). Stucco and brick residence.
William G. Fricke House, 540 Fair Oaks Ave. (1901). Striking and expansive all-stucco house.
William E. Martin House, 636 N. East Ave. (1903). Similar in style to the Fricke House. Combines both horizontal and vertical Priarie elements.
Harry C. Goodrich House, 534 N. East Ave. (1896). An early example of Wright architecture.
Edwin H. Cheney House, 520 N. East Ave. (1903). A famous Wright commission. Living and sleeping area are under one single roof, a feature that he would use in later works.
Harry S. Adams House, 710 Augusta St. (1913). The last Wright house to be erected in Oak Park.
Oscar B. Balch House, 611 N. Kenilworth Ave. (1911). Geometric in style, its flat roof indicates that Wright was gradually veering away from strictly Prairie-style architecture.
Chicago homes
Frederick C. Robie House, 5757 S. Woodlawn Ave. (1909); 312-702-8374. Guided tours daily at noon. Fees: $3 (seniors and students, $1; children under 10, free). Considered the epitome of Prairie architecture, the Robie House was designated a Chicago landmark in 1971. If not his most famous private residence, the Robie House was certainly his most influential in metropolitan Chicago. It now houses the University of Chicago`s alumni relations office.
Isidore H. Heller House, 5132 S. Woodlawn Ave. (1897). An important work in the early career of Wright.
The Rookery Building, 209 S. LaSalle St. Designed by Burnham and Root in 1886, the lobby was remodeled by Wright in 1905. The interior is currently undergoing extensive renovation.
James Charnley House, 1365 N. Astor St. (1892); 312-951-8006. Self-guided tours by appointment, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; free. Designed by Wright when employed with Adler and Sullivan.
The Emil Bach House, 7415 N. Sheridan Rd. (1915). One of the few Wright-designed houses on the North Side of Chicago, the Bach House is a vertical variation of the usually horizontal style of Prairie architecture.
In other suburbs
William H. Winslow House, 515 Auvergne Pl., River Forest (1893). Wright`s first independent commission, reminiscent of his mentor and employer, Louis Sullivan.
Isobel Roberts House, 603 Edgewood, River Forest (1908). Wright designed this house for his secretary.
Avery Coonley House, 300 Scottswood, Riverside (1908). The house is part of a larger complex that includes a gardener`s cottage, a garage, gardens and a pool. Architectural writer Ira J. Bach has called the Coonley house ”in a class that includes only the very best of Frank Lloyd Wright`s work.”
Bookshops
ArchiCenter Bookshop, 330 S. Dearborn St.; (312-922-3431). Extensive selection of books and gifts of Chicago and Midwestern architecture, including books on the life and work of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Ginkgo Tree Bookshop, 951 Chicago Ave., Oak Park (708-848-1978). Maps, guidebooks, tour tickets and books and gift items in Wright`s former garage. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Many gifts are replicas of Wright designs: a Robie House window etched glass panel; silk scarves lavishly decorated with Wright designs; Wright wall calendars; a china set inspired by Wright`s design for the main dining room and cabaret of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo; Wright sweatshirts and T-shirts; Wright mugs; Wright books and videos; and Wright posters, including the ”Mile High Illinois” poster (in 1956 Wright proposed the construction of a mile-high skyscraper for Chicago).
Other examples of Prairie architecture
John Farson House, 217 Home Ave., Oak Park. Designed by Wright disciple George W. Maher. Architectural critics consider the Farson House (also known as the Pleasant Home) to be Maher`s most assured work. Currently houses the museum of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest, which is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For information on tours, call 708-848-6755.
Oak Park and River Forest High School, North Scoville Avenue at Ontario Street, Oak Park. Designed by Robert C. Spencer Jr. and Eben E. Roberts in typical Prairie style. Constructed in 1906 with additions completed in 1913. Ernest Hemingway was an alumnus (Class of 1917).
Magerstadt House, 4930 S. Greenwood Ave. (1906). Another Maher-designed house.
Tours
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Ave., Oak Park;
708-848-1500. 45-minute home and studio tour at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m Mondays through Fridays, and every half hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Fee: $5. The FLW Home and Studio also sponsors a series of 90-minute special architectural walking tours on the first Sunday of each month through November for $5 per person. They are:
– River Forest Walking Tour. Departs from River Forest Methodist Church, 7970 Lake St., River Forest, at 2 p.m. Sept. 1.
– Victorian Walking Tour. Departs from Oak Park Visitors Center, 158 Forest Ave., Oak Park, at 2 p.m. Oct. 6.
– Oak Park Hike. View exteriors of 24 Prairie-style buildings. Meet at 400 W. Chicago Ave. in Oak Park at 2 p.m. Nov. 3.
Forest Avenue Walking Tour, Oak Park Visitors Center, 158 Forest Ave., Oak Park; 708-848-1500. View exteriors of 13 Wright-designed buildings in the Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie School Historic District; 60-minute tours, 1-5 p.m. daily. Fees: $5 from March through October, $4 from November through February (seniors and youths 10-18, $3 and $2 respectively; children under 10, free). A tour package combines the Wright Home and Studio tour with the walking tour (approximately 2 hours). Fees: $7 from March through October, $5 from November through February (seniors and youths, $6 and $4).
Unity Temple, Lake Street at Kenilworth Avenue, Oak Park (1908);
708-848-6225. Self-guided tours from 2 to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Fees: $3 (seniors and students, $2). Guided tours at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Fees: $5 (seniors and students, $3). Wright designed the durable-looking temple, constructed of reinforced concrete, for the Unitarian Universalist Church, of which he was a member. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1969.
Recommended reading
”Guide to Frank Lloyd Wright & Prairie School Architecture in Oak Park,” by Paul E. Sprague ($4.95). Excellent guidebook. Includes a descriptive listing of homes and public buildings designed by Wright and his disciples in Oak Park. Published by the village of Oak Park.
”The Oak Park Home and Studio of Frank Lloyd Wright,” by Ann Abernathy
($9.95). Handsome souvenir book. Lavishly illustrated with informative and scholarly text. Published by the FLW Home and Studio Foundation.
