I took a long weekend and went up to Wisconsin. It is always a great getaway from the city (see previous trips I’ve made here and here) and I’ve been wanting to get to Spring Green ever since I moved to Chicago. Spring Green is where Frank Lloyd Wright was raised and where he moved after spending 20 years at his Oak Park home and studio here in Chicago. You can be sure you’ll be seeing Taliesin, Wright’s home in the Wisconsin hills, here on the blog shortly. I thought it would be fun, first, to share a taste of Spring Green, itself.
The small town of Spring Green sits just west of the Wisconsin River which, this weekend, was high and broad with all of the recent rain we’ve been getting. Bits of cotton from the cottonwood trees was drifting in the air everywhere, and the grass was marshy with rain. The town’s architecture shows more influence from Wright than your average small town, but you have to venture to the east side of the Wisconsin River to catch a glimpse of any buildings actually designed by Wright, himself. However, Spring Green is a town of its own, with its own mixture of architecture. From classic American Foursquare houses to its historic main street and Wright-influenced bank (guess which one!), Spring Green is a little town with a lot of character. I loved exploring it and look forward to visiting the area again.
Further Reading:
Read more about Taliesin (or plan your visit!) here.
Interested in the American Foursquare? Some places to start: Old House online has some good images and details; Antique Home has some good snippets as well. (Or take a look in McAlester!). Go figure that the American Foursquare draws from the Prairie style… you can’t get far from Frank Lloyd Wright.
A glimpse east of the Wisconsin River (more to come!):
Susie Trexler 