Fabyan Villa
Encyclopedia
Fabyan Villa was the home of George and Nelle Fabyan from c. 1908 to 1939. The house is notable because of its remodelling in 1907 by Frank Lloyd Wright
. It was the centerpiece of the Fabyans country estate, which they named Riverbank. The Kane County Forest Preserve District of Illinois purchased the majority of the Fabyan estate in 1939, and operated the Fabyan's home as a museum off and on beginning in 1940. In 1995 Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley was enlisted to operate the site and developed the Fabyan Villa Museum into a Fabyan historic home museum, where photographs, the Fabyans' personal artifact collections, and a limited number of original furnishings, as well as the Riverbank story are shared with the public.
was a millionaire businessman who had a thirst for knowledge. Inheritance from his tycoon-father's textile business, Bliss, Fabyan & Co. provided the financial foundation from which the Colonel and his wife, Nelle, established their legacy. Riverbank, their estate on the Fox River
in Geneva, Illinois
spanned approximately 300 acres (1.2 km²) and featured, among other things, a Japanese Garden
, private zoo, Roman-style
swimming pool, greenhouses, gardens, grottoes, a lighthouse, a Dutch-style windmill, a country club, a small farm and a scientific laboratory complex.
The mid-1800s farmhouse that the Fabyans acquired in 1905 was dubbed by them, The Villa. In 1907, the farmhouse was extensively redesigned by Wright, who added a south wing, three verandas, and large eaves to achieve a cruciform
modestly Prairie-style country house. Other hallmarks of Wright's organic architecture found in the Fabyan Villa are geometric window motifs, 'light screens' (bands of windows), string-coursing, open floor plan, and wood-spindle screening.
In 1910, the Fabyans hired Taro Otsuka to design a Japanese-style garden
below the villa. The one-acre garden was developed over the next several years, and from 1918 on, maintained by Susumu Kobayashi, a Japanese immigrant gardener. Japanese gardens were popular amongst the upper class, and it was a well-known attraction throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Although neglected for decades after the Fabyans, the Fabyan Japanese Garden was renovated beginning in 1974, and today contains restored and replicated original elements including a pond, waterfall, moon bridge
, oversized lantern, and teahouse.
In 1914, the Fabyans purchased a windmill
located on a farm near what is now Elmhurst, Illinois
and had it relocated to the east bank of the Fox River across from the Villa on acreage acquired that same year. The Fabyan Windmill
is unique due to the bakery it houses that according to legend, was used to bake bread for the Fabyans' pet bears. During war-time rationing, the Windmill was used to grind grain for the surrounding community; a deed that was later honored by means of a US postal stamp.
, the first privately owned research facility in the United States. In fact, the National Security Agency
has recognized Riverbank Laboratories as the birthplace of cryptology and has honored Fabyan for his associated services to the United States' government. Nearly all American military World War I cryptography
was done at Fabyan's laboratories, where Elizabeth Wells Gallup
and her staff of assistants, including Elizebeth Friedman
and William F. Friedman
, had spent several years honing cryptology skills and methodology searching for proof of Sir Francis Bacon's authorship of Shakespeare's plays using Bacon's own ciphers.
This site also contained George's and Nelle's private library and museum. In 1918, Fabyan built the first reverberation chamber in the US for Harvard physicist Wallace Clement Sabine
, the pioneer researcher in architectural acoustics. The acoustic laboratory is still in use today as a testing facility.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
. It was the centerpiece of the Fabyans country estate, which they named Riverbank. The Kane County Forest Preserve District of Illinois purchased the majority of the Fabyan estate in 1939, and operated the Fabyan's home as a museum off and on beginning in 1940. In 1995 Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley was enlisted to operate the site and developed the Fabyan Villa Museum into a Fabyan historic home museum, where photographs, the Fabyans' personal artifact collections, and a limited number of original furnishings, as well as the Riverbank story are shared with the public.
Fabyan country estate, Riverbank
George FabyanGeorge Fabyan
George Fabyan was a millionaire businessman who founded a private research laboratory. Fabyan's laboratory pioneered modern cryptography, though its initial findings, supporting Fabyan's belief that Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare's plays, were later disproven by the cryptographers who trained...
was a millionaire businessman who had a thirst for knowledge. Inheritance from his tycoon-father's textile business, Bliss, Fabyan & Co. provided the financial foundation from which the Colonel and his wife, Nelle, established their legacy. Riverbank, their estate on the Fox River
Fox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
in Geneva, Illinois
Geneva, Illinois
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, Illinois. It is located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 26,652. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, along with St. Charles and Batavia...
spanned approximately 300 acres (1.2 km²) and featured, among other things, a Japanese Garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
, private zoo, Roman-style
Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
swimming pool, greenhouses, gardens, grottoes, a lighthouse, a Dutch-style windmill, a country club, a small farm and a scientific laboratory complex.
The mid-1800s farmhouse that the Fabyans acquired in 1905 was dubbed by them, The Villa. In 1907, the farmhouse was extensively redesigned by Wright, who added a south wing, three verandas, and large eaves to achieve a cruciform
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
modestly Prairie-style country house. Other hallmarks of Wright's organic architecture found in the Fabyan Villa are geometric window motifs, 'light screens' (bands of windows), string-coursing, open floor plan, and wood-spindle screening.
In 1910, the Fabyans hired Taro Otsuka to design a Japanese-style garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
below the villa. The one-acre garden was developed over the next several years, and from 1918 on, maintained by Susumu Kobayashi, a Japanese immigrant gardener. Japanese gardens were popular amongst the upper class, and it was a well-known attraction throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Although neglected for decades after the Fabyans, the Fabyan Japanese Garden was renovated beginning in 1974, and today contains restored and replicated original elements including a pond, waterfall, moon bridge
Moon bridge
A moon bridge is a highly arched pedestrian bridge, which in its wooden form may require the walker to initially climb and also when descending. This type is associated with gardens in China and Japan...
, oversized lantern, and teahouse.
In 1914, the Fabyans purchased a windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
located on a farm near what is now Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst, Illinois
Elmhurst is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois. The population is 46,013 as of the 2008 US Census population estimate.-History:...
and had it relocated to the east bank of the Fox River across from the Villa on acreage acquired that same year. The Fabyan Windmill
Fabyan Windmill
The Fabyan Windmill is an authentic, working Dutch windmill dating from the 1850s located in Geneva, Illinois. The , five-story wooden smock mill sits upon the onetime estate of Colonel George Fabyan, but is now part of the Kane County Forest Preserve District.In 1979, the windmill was listed on...
is unique due to the bakery it houses that according to legend, was used to bake bread for the Fabyans' pet bears. During war-time rationing, the Windmill was used to grind grain for the surrounding community; a deed that was later honored by means of a US postal stamp.
Riverbank Laboratories
Between 1912 and 1922, Fabyan created Riverbank LaboratoriesRiverbank Laboratories
Riverbank Laboratories, or Riverbank Labs, is a company on Route 31 in Geneva, Illinois that started in 1918. This company has played an instrumental piece in the United States history of World War I for decrypting the German and Mexican code. The current address for the company is 1512 Batavia Ave...
, the first privately owned research facility in the United States. In fact, the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
has recognized Riverbank Laboratories as the birthplace of cryptology and has honored Fabyan for his associated services to the United States' government. Nearly all American military World War I cryptography
World War I cryptography
Codes and ciphers were used extensively in World War I. The decoding by British Naval intelligence of the Zimmermann telegram helped bring the United States into the war....
was done at Fabyan's laboratories, where Elizabeth Wells Gallup
Elizabeth Wells Gallup
Elizabeth Wells Gallup was an American educator and exponent of the Baconian theory of Shakespearian authorship....
and her staff of assistants, including Elizebeth Friedman
Elizebeth Friedman
Elizebeth Smith Friedman was a cryptanalyst and author, and a pioneer in U.S. cryptography. The special spelling of her name is attributed to her mother, who disliked the prospect of Elizebeth ever being called "Eliza." She has been dubbed "America's first female cryptanalyst".Although she is...
and William F. Friedman
William F. Friedman
William Frederick Friedman was a US Army cryptographer who ran the research division of the Army's Signals Intelligence Service in the 1930s, and parts of its follow-on services into the 1950s...
, had spent several years honing cryptology skills and methodology searching for proof of Sir Francis Bacon's authorship of Shakespeare's plays using Bacon's own ciphers.
This site also contained George's and Nelle's private library and museum. In 1918, Fabyan built the first reverberation chamber in the US for Harvard physicist Wallace Clement Sabine
Wallace Clement Sabine
Wallace Clement Sabine was an American physicist who founded the field of architectural acoustics. He graduated from Ohio State University in 1886 at the age of 18 before joining Harvard University for graduate study and remaining as a faculty member...
, the pioneer researcher in architectural acoustics. The acoustic laboratory is still in use today as a testing facility.
External links
- Fabyan Villa and Japanese Garden - official site, Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley
- Fabyan Villa on dgunning.org
- Fabyan Villa on waymarking.com
- Fabyan Villa on franklloydwrightsites.com
- Photo of Fabyan Villa
- Fabyan Villa on peterbeers.net
- The story of how George Fabyan proved in a Chicago court that Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare