PrairieMod

Nowling Residence For Sale

Matt S. sends word that the 1962 Nowling Residence, designed by Taliesin-trained architect James Delong, is on the market in La Habra, CA for $1.395 million.Check out the listing here.

Image via crosbydoe.com

Celebrating Cornelia

Architect and author Gerald Lee Morosco thought PrairieMod readers might appreciate two stories which ran as full pages last Saturday and Sunday in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette – a fitting tribute to mark what on April 12th would have been the 100th birthday of Cornelia Brierly, a truly remarkable woman from Pittsburgh- enjoy! Read them here and here.

Image via post-gazette.com

Gather 'Round The Fireplace

Sherri S. sends word that on Saturday, May 11, 2013, from 9:30 am - 1 pm there will be a chance to join members of the American Arts Society (a support group of the Milwaukee Art Museum) as they discuss the restoration of the Museum's George Mann Niedecken Fireplace Surround for the Harnischfeger Residence (ca. 1905). Specialist conservator Olaf Unsoeld (Fine Wood Conservation, Ltd., Brooklyn, NY) will be in Milwaukee and will share his assessment and treatment plan for the piece. The day will begin with coffee and pastries, and end with a boxed lunch. $45/person ($40 for American Arts Society Members) Register by May 3. Limited to 30 people. Contact Mel Buchanan 414-224-3281 or mel.buchanan@mam.org. Details here.

Image via MAM

Muennig Modern For Sale

Nelson B. sends a link to a stunning home designed by Organic Architect Mickey Muennig for sale in Big Sur, CA. See more here.

Image via curbed.com

Couple Follows The Architect's Vision

Here's a link to a feature post on Houzz about owners Scott and Emily Faulkner's efforts to have architect James Cowan's original drawings for their 1957 Ellensburg, Washington home guide the renovation efforts. Read and see more here.

Image via Houzz

Illinois Ten Most Endangered 2013

Landmarks Illinois announced its annual list of the Ten Most Endangred Historic Places for 2013. In addition to bridges, mausoleums, and hotels is the The Lincoln Colored Home for orphaned black children in Springfield, IL. We've talked about this site before and the rumor that there might be a Frank Lloyd Wright connection. See the whole list here and support Landmarks Illinois to help save these and other important historic sites in the state.

Image via Landmarks Illinois

See Howe's "Redleaf"

Rob Barros sends word that Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians members are invited to tour “Redleaf,” a house in Lakeville designed by John H. Howe, on Saturday, May 18, from 10 am to noon. More info after the jump...

Resnick-Designed Home For Sale In Usonia

Scott T. sends word that two Aaron Resnick-designed homes in the architecturally significant community of "Usonia" in Pleasantville, NY are on the market. See the listings here and here.

Image via realtor.com

Tour A MN MCM Knockout

Lots of architectural stuff happening in Minnesota! John C. lets us know that Docomomo US/MN has an extra-special opportunity for their members: a free tour Wednesday, May 8th, 2013 from 4 to 6 pm of a 1961 MCM knockout by John Polivka. Get the details here.

Image via Docomomo US/MN

Thorncrown Under Siege

Nelson B. sends word that the E. Fay Jones-designed Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansa is under the threat of having its site compromised by a 48-mile-long high voltage transmission line by Southwest Power Company. If you care about preserving the sanctity of this magnificent chapel's landscape, then add your voice to this petition here.

Image via Architizer

FSC Wright Projects Get Funding

Florida legislature finally hashed out a deal over the weekend to fund two important projects at Frank Lloyd Wright's Florida Southern College: $500,000 for the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center that is being constructed from unbuilt Wright plans and more than $300,000 to restore the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel. Read more here.

Image via www.buildingtheusonianhouse.com

Build Your Own Neutra

Pining for your own Richard Neutra-designed house? Good news--the Neutra Office (and Neutra's son Dion, a partner) has teamed up with the California Architecture Conservancy to offer the architect's plans for license. Read more about it here.

Image via Curbed LA

Meet Kendrick Bangs Kellogg

Larry Zgoda sends word that there are several upcoming opportunities for people on the West Coast to meet San Diego's most dynamic and historically important architect and master builder, Kendrick Bangs Kellogg. Get all the info here.

Image via kendrickbangskellogg.com

Make Your Dream Home A Reality

Architect, author, and Frank Lloyd Wright historian, Dr. Anthony Alofsin has recently written a new book titled Dream Home that is intended as a simple guide to help anyone through the process of buying a home. Learn more about it here.

Image via amazon.com

Goodrich Is Looking Good

Anyone attending this year's Wright Plus Housewalk in Oak Park, IL will see the amazing amount of work that owners Mary Ludgin and Mark Donovan have done over the past 14 years on the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Louisa and Harry Goodrich House (1896). Read more about the work here and get tickets to Wright Plus 2013 here.

Image via dailyherald.com

Brierly and Berndtson's PA Usonian Vision

Here's a link to an article about Taliesin-trained architects Cornelia Brierly and Peter Berndtson and a few of their Pennsylvanian Usonian commissions. Read it here.

Image via post-gazette.com

Reminder: Wright Plus 2013 Tickets On Sale

Don't forget - The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust's Annual Wright Plus Housewalk is one of the premier architectural tours of the year. If you've never been (or have been to every one) then don't miss your chance to tour eight private homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his contemporaries (along with the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Unity Temple and Robie House.) Get tickets and details here.

Image credit: James Caulfield

Taliesin Tours Begin May 1

The 600-acre Taliesin Estate, which contains Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic home, is once again awakening from hibernation to welcome tourists. The full tour season begins May 1st and the National Historic site will be open every day through October 31st. Get details and plan your visit here.

Image via taliesinpreservation.org

Usonian Exhibit Sneek Peek

Wright in Racine offers some tantalizing peeks at the new Frank Lloyd Wright "Usonian" exhibit opening at SC Johnson Wax. See and read more here.

Image copyright Mark Hertzberg

Wright Window On Ebay

A sad reminder of a lost Wright appeared on eBay recently: A set of windows from the W.S. Carr Residence (formally of Grand Beach, Michigan) is up for sale. Too bad they could not have stayed intact with the rest of its now lost house. See the listing here.

Image via Ebay

A Trip To Fabyan Villa

Head's up! Wright In Kankakee is planning a trip to Fabyan Villa, a 1907 Frank Lloyd Wright redesign, and its Japanese garden on Saturday, June 1, 2013, in Geneva, IL. After the tour, enjoy lunch and shopping in historic Geneva for the afternoon. Bus departs Lowe's, Bradley, at 8 AM and Manteno Country Inn and Suites at 8:30 AM. Cost is $65. Call Karen Sturgis at 815-432-5878 for more information.

Image via Wright in Kankakee

What A Difference A Week Makes

Mark Hertzberg has posted new photos of the restoration work underway at Frank Lloyd Wright's Hardy House in Racine, WI. You still have an opportunity to see this amazing arcitectural icon in person this weekend, thanks to the special tour hosted by Wright in Wisconsin taking place on April 27. Wright in Racine post here; tour details here.

Image copyright Mark Hertzberg

See Blossom And McArthur Houses

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy is hosting a special event on May 11, 2013 in which people will be able to tour the George Blossom House (1892) and the Warren McArthur House (1892), both early designs by Frank Lloyd Wright. Don't miss this opportunity to see these Wright "bootleg" designs--get more info here.

Images via FLWBC

Mies-ed It By That Much

As the rivers in the Chicagoland area spilled over their banks this last week, Modern Architecture lovers waited with angst to see whether or not Mies van der Rohe's steel and glass masterpiece, the Farnsworth House (1951) in Plano, IL would succumb to flooding once again. According to the house's website and Lee Bey's blog, it seems like the stilted home's interior may have dodged a bullet this time. I won't rest too easy until all that water goes down. More here.

Image via miesglasshouse.wordpress.com

Vintage Wright And Vintage Wheels

Here's a link to an article about a vintage photo of a vintage Cadillac in front of a vintage Frank Lloyd Wright home. Read more here.

Image via wheels.blogs.nytimes.com

Bach House Buzz Building

There's exciting buzz building about Frank Lloyd Wright's Emil Bach House in Chicago. This little late Prairie gem is undergoing an extensive restoration by Tawani Enterprises, a firm owned by Chicago philanthropist and businessman, Col. JN Pritzker (IL-Retired). The house was commissioned in 1914 by Emil Bach, an early admirer of Wright’s work. The project is scheduled for completion in July, 2013 and will be open for overnight guests and exclusive private events. Check out the restoration progress as it's being documented on the Emil Bach House website here.

Image via blog.emilbachhouse.com

Special Events For Marin County Civic Center 50th

As part of the year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Frank Lloyd Wright Marin Civic Center, there are several special events hosted by the Frank Lloyd Wright Civic Center Conservancy to look forward to. Get more details here.

Image via marincounty.org

Stunning Stricker-Designed House For Sale

An absolutely stunning home designed by Taliesin-trained architect Milton Stricker recently hit the market in Kent, Washington for $650,000. Check out the listing with lots of photos here.

Image via estately.com

Wright's Spencer House For Sale

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Dudley Spencer House (1956) in Wilmington, Delaware is on the market for $1.35 million. See lots of pics and the listing information here.

Image via pattersonschwartz.com

Tyler, TX Goff Building Destroyed

Here's a link to a video showing the destruction of the Bruce Goff-designed Ben Fitzgerald real estate building in Tyler, TX. If you have to look for a silver lining, the grandson of the original client was able to convince the demolition crew to save the tall sign that is supposedly to have been designed by Goff. Read and see more here.

Image via tylerpaper.com

Chicagoland Floods

The Chicagoland area received some pretty heavy rains the last two days which is causing some major flooding. Of concern to architecture lovers is that several important Prairie School homes, including several by Frank Lloyd Wright, are very near the Des Plaines River. Read more here.

Image via oakpark.com

Drawing The Future

Here's a link to an article about the new exhibit “Drawing the Future: Chicago Architecture on the International Stage, 1900-1925" at the Block Museum at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. A portion of the exhibit examines the work of Walter Burley and Marion Mahony Griffin before, during and after the famed 1912 Canberra design competition (which was won thanks to both of their immense talents). Read more here.

Image via idealcity.org.au

Irving House For Sale

Frank Lloyd Wright's (with help from Marion Mahony) Edward P. Irving Residence (1910) in Decatur, IL is on the market for the approachable price of $649,000. I've been in this home on a few occasions and it is stunning. Hopefully some new stewards can take good care this Prairie gem. Check out the listing with photos galore here.

Image via homesight.net

Dine In Prairie Style

If you've always wanted to dine surounded by the beauty of Frank Lloyd Wright's finest Prairie home, then here's your chance. Experience the Dana-Thomas House in the grand manner of Susan Lawrence Dana and as Frank Lloyd Wright intended. There are a few seats still left for this special dinner on Saturday, May 4, 2013. The cost for this once-in-a-lifetime experience is $300 per person. For reservations and more info call 217.788.9452.

Photo © RT McDonald 2012

Russian Cylindrical Home In Danger

Nelson B. sends word that Russian avant-garde architect Konstantin Melnikov’s famed 1929 cylindrical home in Moscow is in danger of collapsing. Read more about it here.

Image via Architizer

Goff's Tulsa Building Sold

PrairieMod reader Zachary Matthews sent news to us that Bruce Goff's Tulsa Club Building has sold to local businessman, Josh Barrett, president of Vesta Properties, for $460,000. Barrett states he plans a mixed-use development in the building with a combination of commercial and residential properties. Let's hope this important building can be brought back to some of its former glory. More here.

Image via tulsaworld.com

Goff Building To Be Demolished For Car Wash

Troubling news out of Tyler, TX: Bruce Goff's only work in the town, the Ben Fitzgerald real estate building, is set to be demolished as early as today to make way for a car wash. Even though concerned locals want it to be saved, there's no protection for the building and its owners aren't keen on saving it. Does the world really need another car wash? Read more about this imminent loss here.

Image via tylerpaper.com

Michigan Modern Symposium: Design That Shaped America

Mark your calendars: The Michigan Modern Symposium will take place June 13-16, 2013 and features an amazing line-up of tours, lectures, and other events that Mod-lovers will want to experience. Check out the booklet of events here for all the details. Take note—conference registration is limited to 500 participants, so register early or be sorry!

Image via michiganmodern.org

More Rookery For Sale

Speaking of pieces of the Rookery Building for sale--in looking for info regarding the elevator transom for sale at Urban Remains, I came across the news that the Leslie Hindman auctioneers is selling the Adams Street staircase from the northeast corner of the famed Rookery Building as a private sale.

As stated at the auction house's website: "The six flights of the original staircase will be sold individually by flight and are comprised of cast iron and marble elements including: balustrades, baseboards, beam covers, columns, column covers, fascias, handrails, landing beams, landing tees, marble slabs, marble walls, newel posts, risers, stringers, treads and wainscoting. The stairway was carefully dismantled, tagged, numbered and removed during the renovation and restoration of the Rookery in March of 1990, over 100 years after the building was erected by the Chicago architectural team of Burnham and Root. Following this grand-scale restoration process, the building’s owner, L. Thomas Baldwin III, presented the stairway as a gift to the University Museum at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The sale of the staircase will benefit the University Museum."

At this rate, will anything be left at the Rookery? Read more here.

Images via lesliehindman.com

Rookery Elevator Panel For Sale

Urban Remains in Chicago recently added a rare elevator door transom from the interior Rookery Building for sale on its website. The metal piece dates from the 1930s renovation by William Drummond and features etched Art Deco motifs and winged animals designed by Annette Byrne. Not sure why it still isn't at the Rookery in downtown Chicago. No price is listed, but I can guess it's got several zeros at the end of it. More here.

Image via Urban Remains

Chicago's Fire Sale

11 vacant firehouses are set to be sold off by the city of Chicago, with officials saying any proposed use (single family home, retail, museum) will be considered regardless of zoning. Read more about it here.

Image via dnainfo.com

Frank Lloyd Wright: Taker

Adam Grant, author of the book Give and Take, recently wrote a piece for the Huffington Post about how power can reveal or amplify the true nature of a person. His example is Frank Lloyd Wright, who he characterizes as a natural "Taker," whose tendencies became more apparent when he received fame and power. Read more here.

Image via Amazon.com

A Look Inside Wright's Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

Mark Hertzberg recently had the privilege of being invited to photograph the interior of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Check out his amazing photos here of this Wright interior seldom seen by the public.

Image copyright Mark Hertzberg

Hoffman Showroom: A Last Look

Back in January, PrairieMod pal, Zachary Matthews sent some photos of the recently vacated Hoffman Auto Showroom to share with readers. After its recent demolition, Zachary found a few more detail shots from his visit and sent them along. See them all after the jump...

More On Hoffman Showroom Demolition

The shock of the demolition of The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Hoffman Auto Showroom in New York City earlier this week is starting to hit people and more reaction is coming out from preservation groups and individuals. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy has posted an official statement about the loss, as well as a statement of importance written by architectural scholar David DeLong. Crain's New York has also posted an article with some of the New York reaction. Follow the links to read each. The only way to avoid senseless losses like this in the future is to support preservation organizations like the FLWBC and act proactively to save remaining sites.

Image credit: Matt Chaban/Crain's New York

Renovating Goff's Riverside Studio

Zachary Matthews sends a link to a Newson6.com story about the campaign to raise $4 million to renovate the Bruce Goff-designed Riverside Studio (1928) in Tulsa, OK which is now known as the Tulsa Spotlight Theater. Hopefully that amount includes recreating the Olinka Hrdy murals and Alfonso Iannelli fountain. More here.

Image via newson6.com

Gale House Guestbook For Sale

In other book news...here's a very odd Etsy.com find: the original guestbook from the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House (1909) in Oak Park, IL. Leather bound with a wicker inlay and a Scottish Print on the cover, the entire book is handwritten calligraphy with each page decorated with phrases, quotes, and scripture. If you like it it will set you back $500.00! Check out more on this unique item here.

Image via Etsy.com

Chasing Frank Lloyd Wright

Speaking of Wright-related books, Chasing Frank Lloyd Wright written by architect Conrad Brown is now available. It's a memoir of Brown's life and experiences working with Bruce Goff, becoming an architect, and finally catching up with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West, just four months before his death. The book has over 90 color vintage photos taken by Brown at the time of works by Wright, Goff and others. There are also anecdotes of Mr. Wright: "It's all here, take what you need." spoken to him while waving his cane across the horizon with one hand and holding on to the young apprentice's bare, skinny arm with the other. Get more info and order your copy here.

Image via Amazon.com

Growing Up Wright

Here's s a link to an article at BrightonPittsfordPost.com about author Kim Bixler's experiences growing up in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Boynton House in Rochester, NY. Read it here. You can order her book here.

image via brightonpittsfordpost.com

A Look At Sullivan's Martin Ryerson Mausoleum

The excellent blog, DesignSlinger recently featured the Louis Sullivan-designed Martin Ryerson Mausoleum, located in Chicago's Graceland Cemetery. Read and see more here.

Image via designslinger.com