Springfield, Illinois, is perhaps best known for its association with President Abraham Lincoln. It is home to Lincoln’s house, office, and tomb. Its historically significant architecture, however, do not stop there. In 1902, just 41 years after Lincoln was elected president and moved from Springfield to Washington, DC, a woman named Susan Lawrence commissioned Frank… Read More Discovering the Dana Thomas House
This weekend, a selection Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings joined the Unesco World Heritage List. The listing, named the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, includes eight buildings across the United States: Unity Temple (Oak Park, IL) Robie House (Chicago, IL) Taliesin (Spring Green, WI) Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House (Madison, WI) Fallingwater (Mill Run, PA) Hollyhock House (Los Angeles,… Read More Frank Lloyd Wright: New UNESCO World Heritage Site
When you think of Frank Lloyd Wright, usually the expensive masterpieces come to mind: Fallingwater, the Guggenheim, and the Robie House (I previously wrote about Robie here and here!). Wright was, however, interested throughout his career in designing affordable architecture for all Americans. Intrigued? Look no further than Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Frank Lloyd Wright collaborated with the… Read More Affordable Housing, Milwaukee, and Frank Lloyd Wright
The Robie House, in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood south of downtown, is a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece and a testament to evolving technology in turn-of-the-century America. It was built in 1910, a crowning culmination of Wright’s Prairie style houses. It also went though a recent restoration and it looks stunning. Being amidst the University of… Read More Restoring Robie: A Window into the Past
Frank Lloyd Wright was an architect amidst a lot of material innovation, and finding new ways to use these materials was one of his strong suits. Just look at all of his work with concrete, from Unity Temple to the fascinating Ennis House in LA. Wright’s early career was developing at the same time as… Read More A Journey in the Art Glass of Frank Lloyd Wright
Taliesin is best known as the home of Frank Lloyd Wright, famous architect. But it was far more than a home. On my recent visit to Taliesin, just as each curving hill revealed a different building on the estate, each space provided a new story–and not necessarily the one I expected. Here I’ve collected a… Read More 5 Surprising Things About Taliesin
Frank Lloyd Wright spent much of his childhood near Spring Green, Wisconsin, and lived there off and on from the 1911 construction of Taliesin, his Wisconsin estate, until his death in 1959. Despite Wright’s mixed relationship with the locals, you don’t have to look far to see his influence on local architecture. And I’m not… Read More Finding the Wright Influence: Spring Green
Shingle Style has its roots in New England and it often gives off a coastal vibe. The style, which is characterized by wood shingles on the exterior walls, is echoed in west coast beach towns, particularly in Northern California and Oregon. It isn’t limited to the coasts, though: Shingle style emerged in the Midwest in… Read More Shingle Style’s Unlikely Appearance in the Midwest
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… Read More Views of Spring Green, Wisconsin
Frank Lloyd Wright. Sure, he’s a famous architect with a household name. But what’s the big deal? As an architectural historian, I often get asked what my favorite architectural style or time period is. The second most common question I get is my opinion of Frank Lloyd Wright. People love to have opinions about Frank… Read More Five Things to Like About Frank Lloyd Wright
Susie Trexler 