Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
Encyclopedia
The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio at 951 Chicago Avenue in Oak Park, Illinois
, has been restored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust to its appearance in 1909, the last year Frank Lloyd Wright
lived there with his family. Frank Lloyd Wright purchased the property and built the home in 1889 with a $5,000 loan from his employer Louis Sullivan
. He was 22 at the time, and newly wed to Catherine Tobin. The Wrights raised six children in the home. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and declared a National Historic Landmark four years later.
The original 1889 structure was quite small. The home was extensively remodeled in 1895, when among other changes the kitchen was enlarged and converted to a dining room, the upstairs nursery was expanded and converted for use as Catherine's dayroom, and the Children's Playroom and a new kitchen were added to the back of the house. A second major addition was made in 1898, when the Studio and Connecting Corridor were built. In the Studio, Frank Lloyd Wright and associated architects like Walter Burley Griffin
and sculptor Richard Bock
advanced the Prairie School of Architecture and designed many notable structures, including the Robie House
, Unity Temple
, the Laura Gale home
, and the Larkin building
. After 1909, the Studio was converted into a residence for his wife and the younger children. Later on, the Home and Studio became an apartment building. In the 1960s it fell into disrepair as the owners began to neglect the property due to financial problems. The longtime roofing company entrusted by Frank Lloyd Wright, Oak Park based Tuscher Roofing took control of the property. In 1974, the structure was handed over to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the 13-year restoration began.
The Home and Studio was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1976, and has received the American Institute of Architects
' National Honor Award. It is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and has been restored, maintained, and operated as a museum by the The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. Every May, the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust hosts a housewalk of the home and studio and various private homes.
Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio is located in one of three historic districts of Oak Park, Illinois
. It is specifically found in the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District
, which includes 27 Wright-designed structures as well as other historical and architecturally significant buildings.
The Home and Studio Museum Shop is currently located in the East end of the building, and carries most of the extensive Frank Lloyd Wright, Prairie and Arts & Crafts related products available at ShopWright.org.
. These include the two boulder figures flanking the entrance of the studio, which features a man crouching and breaking free from the ground beneath him. Bock also designed the stork capitals on the exterior loggia of the studio. The capitals signifies the tree of life, the book of knowledge, an architectural scroll, and two storks full of wisdom and fertility.
Wright's home included many sculptures on the interior which added to and contrasted with the anti-Victorian decor. These objects include a frieze from the Pergamon Altar
and several sizes of Winged Victory of Samothrace
as well as a bust of Beethoven.
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
, has been restored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust to its appearance in 1909, the last year Frank Lloyd Wright
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...
lived there with his family. Frank Lloyd Wright purchased the property and built the home in 1889 with a $5,000 loan from his employer Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan
Louis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism" He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an...
. He was 22 at the time, and newly wed to Catherine Tobin. The Wrights raised six children in the home. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and declared a National Historic Landmark four years later.
History
Walter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect, who is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia's capital city...
and sculptor Richard Bock
Richard Bock
Richard W. Bock was an American sculptor and associate of Frank Lloyd Wright.He was particularly known for his sculptural decorations for architecture and military memorials, along with the work he conducted alongside Wright....
advanced the Prairie School of Architecture and designed many notable structures, including the Robie House
Robie House
The Frederick C. Robie House is a U.S. National Historic Landmark in the Chicago, Illinois neighborhood of Hyde Park at 5757 S. Woodlawn Avenue on the South Side. It was designed and built between 1908 and 1910 by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and is renowned as the greatest example of his Prairie...
, Unity Temple
Unity Temple
Unity Temple is a Unitarian Universalist church in Oak Park, Illinois, and the home of the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation. It was designed by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and built between 1905 and 1908. Unity Temple is considered to be one of Wright's most important...
, the Laura Gale home
Laura Gale House
The Laura Gale House, also known as the Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House, is a home in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The house was designed by master architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1909. It is located within the boundaries of the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of...
, and the Larkin building
Larkin Administration Building
The Larkin Building was designed in 1904 by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1906 for the Larkin Soap Company of Buffalo, New York. The five story dark red brick building used pink tinted mortar and utilized steel frame construction. It was noted for many innovations, including air conditioning,...
. After 1909, the Studio was converted into a residence for his wife and the younger children. Later on, the Home and Studio became an apartment building. In the 1960s it fell into disrepair as the owners began to neglect the property due to financial problems. The longtime roofing company entrusted by Frank Lloyd Wright, Oak Park based Tuscher Roofing took control of the property. In 1974, the structure was handed over to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the 13-year restoration began.
The Home and Studio was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1976, and has received the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
' National Honor Award. It is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and has been restored, maintained, and operated as a museum by the The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. Every May, the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust hosts a housewalk of the home and studio and various private homes.
Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio is located in one of three historic districts of Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
. It is specifically found in the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District
Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District
The Frank Lloyd Wright/Prairie School of Architecture Historic District is a residential neighborhood in the Cook County, Illinois village of Oak Park, United States. The Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District is both a federally designated historic district listed on the U.S. National Register of...
, which includes 27 Wright-designed structures as well as other historical and architecturally significant buildings.
The Home and Studio Museum Shop is currently located in the East end of the building, and carries most of the extensive Frank Lloyd Wright, Prairie and Arts & Crafts related products available at ShopWright.org.
Sculptures
Most of the sculptures on the exterior of the Home and Studio were designed by Wright's friend and collaborator, Richard BockRichard Bock
Richard W. Bock was an American sculptor and associate of Frank Lloyd Wright.He was particularly known for his sculptural decorations for architecture and military memorials, along with the work he conducted alongside Wright....
. These include the two boulder figures flanking the entrance of the studio, which features a man crouching and breaking free from the ground beneath him. Bock also designed the stork capitals on the exterior loggia of the studio. The capitals signifies the tree of life, the book of knowledge, an architectural scroll, and two storks full of wisdom and fertility.
Wright's home included many sculptures on the interior which added to and contrasted with the anti-Victorian decor. These objects include a frieze from the Pergamon Altar
Pergamon Altar
The Pergamon Altar is a monumental construction built during the reign of King Eumenes II in the first half of the 2nd century BC on one of the terraces of the acropolis of the ancient city of Pergamon in Asia Minor....
and several sizes of Winged Victory of Samothrace
Winged Victory of Samothrace
The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace, is a 2nd century BC marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike . Since 1884, it has been prominently displayed at the Louvre and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world.-Description:The Nike of Samothrace,...
as well as a bust of Beethoven.
See also
- Frank Lloyd Wright Building ConservancyFrank Lloyd Wright Building ConservancyThe Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy is an organization devoted to the historic preservation of buildings and their furnishings and decoration designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as to the study of Wright's career The organization has grown since its founding in the late 1980s to...
- Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic DistrictFrank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic DistrictThe Frank Lloyd Wright/Prairie School of Architecture Historic District is a residential neighborhood in the Cook County, Illinois village of Oak Park, United States. The Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District is both a federally designated historic district listed on the U.S. National Register of...
- List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, chronological list of houses, commercial buildings and other works by Frank Lloyd Wright.
- List of Frank Lloyd Wright works by location (covering 4 countries and 36 states in America.)