The PrairieMod Squad had a great time at the 2009 Wright Plus Housewalk, put together by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust in Oak Park, IL. It was an all-day event and the day was gorgeous! Read more after the jump...
We were positioned under the tent outside the Home & Studio's museum shop, meeting people and debuting the new FanGuide™ Oak Park & River Forest Prairie School Architecture tour books. Karim Motawi of Motawi Tileworks was also on-hand signing tiles and showcasing the fantastic work that his studio is known for.
While we didn't get to see the houses on Saturday, we we're able to participate in the Friday night Preview. It was a little rainy, but it did not dampen the spirits of everyone participating. The houses this year were superb! I was especially taken with the two Tallmadge and Watson houses on the tour: the Henry D. Goldbeck House and the James R. McMaster House. Both houses had exquisite Prairie detailing with stunning art-glass, tons of beautiful oak trim work and flowing, open floor plans. It proved that, though Frank Lloyd Wright often overshadows other Prairie School architects, they often produced superlative works in their own right.
In addition to those two houses, there was a George W. Maher design (the Charles R. Erwin House II), an E. E. Roberts design (the Lizzie A. Todd House) an unknown Italianate design (the Michael L. Carter House) and three Frank Lloyd Wright houses (The Laura Gale House, the George Furbeck House, and the Edward Hills House).
The Hills House was an especially amazing experience. Expertly restored inside and out, the house is immaculate. The current owners are in the process of re-creating a period pergola that once led to the neighboring Nathan Moore House and the 1893 World's Fair ticket booth on the property.
If you missed this year's event, then plan to get your tickets early for next year. Find out more info and see some photos by following the link.
Image copyright the FLWPT
What? Oh no! That was you guys? Shoot! I wish I had known that, I stopped by the booth and saw the tour books! Would have loved to say hello and thank you for this terrific site... I have you on my Netvibes and catch you every day (in the midst of a job move, I must have missed that you guys were going to be at WP). Great show, anyhow, and glad to hear that you got to see the houses. Seeing them during the day was WONDERFUL, with light streaming through art glass all over the place. It really was special.
The Hills-DeCaro House was, indeed, a work of art. I cannot begin to fathom the amount of time, effort (and MONEY) that it took to make that home a reality. Between restoring (and rebuilding!) the home and sending their kids to college, these folks either hit the jackpot or have a backdoor to the Federal Reserve Bank. Either way, I'm thrilled, because that is one very special specimen of a house. While FLLW would not have approved of the kitchen (poo on his idea of a proper kitchen, anyhow... that was a GREAT kitchen!), I'm sure he would be absolutely beaming at the love of attention to detail that the current owners have given that home. Stunning.
Posted by: Steve Costello | May 20, 2009 at 09:44 AM