Pages

Friday, November 18, 2016

Here and About- Frank Lloyd Wright Walking Tour- Oak Park

 On a lovely afternoon in Oak Park
 we set out on foot-
to find the Frank Lloyd Houses.
There are 25 of them in the Oak Park- 
River Forest area.
 The Moore-Dugal House was completed in 1896 
and is the first independent commission
 in Oak Park after Wright
 left the offices of Adler and Sullivan.  
On December 23 1922, a massive fire 
destroyed the third and fourth floors.
Frank Lloyd Wright returned to Oak Park
 to redesign and rebuild the home for a second time.

The tall and narrow chimneys
 become a Wright trademark
 in the Oak Park area.
 The Frank Lloyd home and studio 
has been restored by the Preservation Trust
 to its 1909 appearance- 
the last year that Wright lived here with his family. 
Wright purchased the property 
and built the home in 1889 with a $5000 loan 
from his employer Louis Sullivan.
He was 22 at the time 
and newly married to Catherine Tobin.
 The Wrights raised 6 children in the home.


The building was listed on the 
National Register of Historic Places in 1972
 and 4 years later named a Historic Landmark.
(our day was full 
and we didn't get to tour this location)
Wright is known for arched entrances and
"hidden" entryways or doors, 
shown here in the Frank Thomas House
 built in 1901.
Strong horizontal lines and a 
mixture of building materials
 are part of the remodeled Peter Beachy house. 
Wright remodeled the original Gothic structure
 that was here in 1906. 
A narrow and long chimney,
 "prairie" horizontal lines,
 as well as 
private outdoor spaces mark the
Arthur Heurtley house built in 1902.
The Laura Gale house, 
also known as the Mrs. Thomas Gale 
house was built in 1909.
Here the cantilevered overhangs 
are executed that may have been an influence
 to Wright's Fallingwater in Pennsylvania.
Fallingwater
A nearby park commemorates
 Frank Lloyd Wright-
1867-1959 
and his contribution to the history 
of the Oak Park, Illinois community.

Left to Right- Faith, Connie- (me), 
Linda and Jean
We pause to mark a 
moment in time- together,
of the grace of an autumn afternoon
 captured together.

What a blessing.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for adding your thoughts and comments- they are greatly appreciated.