Today we have a broad palette of colors for buildings. But it wasn’t always that way. You may know that paint color was historically limited, so it is understandable that other materials would have limited colors as well. In fact, material types have in some cases created regional identities. For example, the Chicago common brick.… Read More Cream City
Lake Geneva is known, among other things, as “the Newport of the Midwest.” So it should come as no surprise that, like Newport, its historic summer mansions left by the 19th century’s elite are balanced by a public walking trail that encircles the entire lake. Much like Newport’s Cliff Walk, the trail primarily skirts backyards… Read More A Historic Trail Through the Midwest’s Best Backyards: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
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
Although I am an architectural historian, I am an equal opportunity reuse fan. I love an old building any day but give me a clever reuse story of any type and I’m all in. Rails to Trails, a program for converting abandoned railroads into multi-use trails, is undoubtedly one of the best reuse plans in… Read More Railroad Reuse: the First Rails to Trails
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
An hour and a half north of Chicago, in the small town of Racine, Wisconsin, the S.C. Johnson headquarters (originally Johnson Wax) sits mere blocks from the broad, blue expanse of Lake Michigan. With historic neighborhoods and old factory buildings on either side, S.C. Johnson’s iconic research tower is an unusual beacon to visitors: this… Read More S.C. Johnson: the Wright Office Building
I recently went on a day trip to Milwaukee. Wisconsin is the perfect destination for day trips from Chicago–the rolling hills and beautiful countryside are a nice antidote to the city. I had never, however, been to the city of Milwaukee and was excited to explore. Milwaukee sits on a broad bay on Lake Michigan’s… Read More Views of Milwaukee’s North Point
Susie Trexler 