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.
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.
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.
The Currier Museum of Art recently aquired and put on display a rare armchair designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902-3 for the first Little House in Peoria, IL. Read more about it here.
Image via artdaily.org
armchair designed for the Francis W. Little House in Peoria, IL
I had an exciting find this weekend at a local antique shop: a rare copy of the only biography written about Prairie School architect, Harry Franklin Robinson. The book, titled The Life And Work of Harry Franklin Robinson 1883-1959, was written by Robinson's eldest grandson, James Alexander Robinson, and published in 1989. The book is full of fantastic information based on research and interviews with original clients about this under-appreciated architect. In addition to detailing Robinson's experiences working for Frank Lloyd Wright (twice) and Walter Burley Griffin, there are a plethora of beautiful illustrations of Robinson's renderings (several that were apparently the basis for plates in Wright's iconic Wasmuth Portfolio) and architectural work. Enjoy just a small sampling of what this book contains in the scans pictured after the jump...
Curbed Chicago reports that the William Drummond-designed Klesert House (1915) in River Forest, IL is on the market for $805,000. Check out more photos of this stunning Prairie School gem here.
We wanted to help spread the word about the National Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of America workshop for teachers, "Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School in the Midwest" which is sponsored by Wright on the Park, Mason City, Iowa, at The Historic Park Inn Hotel, the last standing hotel in the world designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Emphasis on using architecture to teach art, history and culture. Leading scholars, tours of Prairie School architecture, time for curriculum development. Workshop offered in both July and August, 2013. Visit this link for details.
Cevan LeSieur posted the news on The Prairie School Traveler's Facebook page that the Salt Lake City-based Ladies’ Literary Club gifted their
Ware and Treganza-designed Prairie Style landmark clubhouse building located at 850 East South Temple to Utah Heritage Foundation.
The Foundation is dedicated to
renovating the building and restoring its original beauty while
preserving the legacy of the Ladies’ Literary Club. Once renovated, Utah
Heritage Foundation will operate the building as an event center for
the community to use. They expect to have the building open for events in
the fall of 2014. Find out more here.
I recently picked-up a copy of the July 1911 Cement World magazine (self-anointed "World's Greatest Cement Publication") and discovered an interesting article about the winning concrete bungalow designs chosen for Mrs. Lucile Bishop of Chicago, IL.
Mrs. Bishop apparently won a bungalow from the Cement Products Exhibition Company at the Fourth Annual Chicago Cement Show held in February 1911. What's interesting is that there was a three-way tie for the winning design, one of which was by an under-appreciated Prairie architect. Find out more after the jump...
Frank Lloyd Wright's beautifully restored Park Inn Hotel will be the site of a national Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of America Workshop on July 14-19 and Aug. 4-9, 2013. The topic will be of interest to PrairieMod readers: "Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School in the Midwest." Read more here.
The final line-up for the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust's annual Wright Plus Housewalk in Oak Park, IL on May 18, 2013 has been announced and it's a great list—including several Wright-designed homes, a John S. Van Bergen, and much more. See the list and get your tickets here before they are sold out.
Image via The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust
The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed F.B. Henderson House (1904) in Elmhurst, IL is on the market for $1.33 million. The home is a beautiful example of Wright's Prairie-era architecture and very close in location to Walter Burley Griffin's William H. Emery, Jr. Residence. Check out the listing and photos here.
The Globe Gazette reports that the Mason City Architectural Interpretive Center in Mason City, IA has a new exhibit to check out, which features a
topographic model, created in 2003 by University of Illinois students, of the original design for the Prairie School enclave called Rock Crest/Rock Glen. Read more here.
Debbie B. sends word that the Oak Park, Illinois home of Prairie School architect, Vernon S. Watson (of Tallmadge & Watson) is on the market for $444,000. See and read more here.
Springfield, Illinois's most famous icon is getting the celebrity treatment this week with the opening of Steven Spielberg's new movie, Lincoln. However, Springfield has another famous icon worth your attention: The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Dana-Thomas House. Read more about it here.
Here's a link to an article in the Western Springs Patch about the First Congregational Church (designed by George G. Elmslie in 1929) and its efforts to restore back the Prairie School art glass window designs that have been missing for decades. Read more here.
The Pleasant Home Foundation will host a tour of six unique Prairie
School and Arts & Crafts style homes this Saturday October 13, 2012 in Oak Park,IL...many open to the
public for the first time. Event tickets also include a complimentary
tour of Pleasant Home. Proceeds will benefit the Pleasant Home
Foundation and its work in continuing to preserve, restore and operate
Pleasant Home. Get details and tickets here.
If you have not watched it yet, here's a link to a video made for the Highland Park Historical Society to help celebrate their John S. Van Bergen Month activities. Watch it here.
Positive news is afoot regarding the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Hardy House in Racine, WI. Mark Hertzberg has been posting about it recently on his blog, Wright in Racine...with the ultimate announcement coming soon. Read the recent post about daughter of second Hardy House owner's, Anne Sporer Ruetz, and her visit 50 years later to the dream home she grew up in.
October 2012 is John Van Bergen Month in Highland Park. The City’s Historic Preservation Commission and the Historical Society have teamed up for a series of events highlighting the career of the brilliant and under-appreciated Prairie Style architect, John Van Bergen. House tours, exhibits, and lectures are among the planned activities. More after the jump...
PrairieMod Squad member Jared F.'s eagle eyes spotted Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic Robie House in a recent 2013 Acura RDX advertising campaign. Check it out here.
The Mercury News features an article about Prairie School architects, Frank Delos Wolfe and his son, Carl—San Jose architects who took a page out of Frank Lloyd Wright's Oak Park era playbook and ran with it on the west coast. Read more here.
Restoration architect, John Eifler, posted images of what freeze/thaw cycles and lots of rain did to one of the Prairie School planters that serves as the marker for the Ravine Bluffs development in Glencoe, IL. Ravine Bluffs is home to several Frank Lloyd Wright-designed residences (and a bridge). Hopefully these planters can be fixed-up and looking good soon. More here.
Marty Hackl sent word that the John Van Bergen-designed Schwefer House in Hawthorn Woods has been beautifully restored by its current owners. The restoration included major structural and mechanical work, and much attention to the surrounding landscape (which is yet to be fully completed).
Though the future of this house was in question back in April 2008 when we posted on it, it seems the right owners have found this house and made it shine. See more of Marty's photos of the house here.
If you'd like to save and restore your own John Van Bergen house, then consider buying the James Irving Residence in Wilmette, IL. It's being offered at a great price and it's a stunning house. Details here.
The Springfield News-Sun recently featured an article that mentions hometown Springfield, Ohio Frank Lloyd Wright client, Burton J. Westcott and Buffalo, New York client, Darwin D. Martin. Read it here.
The Chicago Tribune reports that the George W. Maher-designed Erwin House in Oak Park, IL has sold for the respectable sum of $1.34 million. The majorly renovated home was owned by former WMAQ-Ch. 5 news anchor Zoraida Sambolin, who is now in New York working for CNN. Read more about it here.
Now in the Features section: a photographic virtual tour of the architecture experienced at the 2012 Walter Burley Griffin Society Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN. See it here.
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The Wednesday Journal recently featured the relatively unknown Kelsert House, designed by Prairie School architect William E. Drummond and located in River Forest, IL. It's one of the few Prairie homes in the area that has prairie landscaping as well. Read about life in this Prairie gem here.
A recent article in The Canberra Times explores the history of Lake Burley Griffin (named for the capital city's Prairie School designer, Walter Burley Griffin) and the 50-year delay of its completion. Read it here.
I received word form Marty Hackl that October 2012 will officially be "John Van Bergen Month", filled with special events celebrating the Prairie School architect. More info after the jump...
The Frank Lloyd wright-designed Bradley House in Kankakee, IL is an important architectural milestone in the development of Prairie School architecture. However, the home, which is now open to the public for tours and operated by the supremely dedicated organization, Wright in Kankakee, needs help in raising the funds necessary to fully fund the home's future and awareness among the public to come visit this remarkable architectural icon. Read more about the challenges here and plan your visit/support the cause here.
May 5, 2012 is quickly approaching and if you have not secured your spot for the sure-to-be-fantastic Out and About Wright: Prairie Architecture in the Illinois Heartland, hosted by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, then what are you waiting for? We've heard that spaces on the tour, which will visit Springfield and Decatur Wright-related sites, are filling-up fast! Get details here and read a recent article about the tour here.
Chicago Junior School in Elgin, Illinois has closed its doors, and the historic property with its architecturally significant buildings, designed by John Van Bergen, have been foreclosed on by the bank. A sale of the property is pending. The unique Prairie Style buildings are now threatened with demolition, and the school's nearly 50 acre nature preserve is in danger of being subdivided and developed as an industrial park.
Marty Hackl will talk about the history of the school, its ties to Jane Addams,the city of Chicago, and the Christian Science Church with their progressive approach to education starting in the early 20th Century on Thursday, May 10, 2012 in Elgin. Time and further details to be announced.
Minnpost.com's Steve Date showcases some of the remarkable Prairie School houses in Minneapolis designed by William Gray Purcell, George Grant Elmslie and George Feick, Jr. which are a century old and still stunning. See more here.
Curbed Chicago wonders why the Allan Miller House, an impeccable Prairie School gem designed by John S. Van Bergen on Chicago's south side, can't find a new owner—especially since the asking price is now $399,000 (down from $450,000). Is there a PrairieMod reader looking to live in Prairie style? If so, follow the link.
PrairieMod reader Bill S. sends a link to a fantastic Prairie School gem in Ogden, Utah designed by architect Eber Piers in 1919 that is for sale for $455,000. Check out info here and here.
After posting yesterday about the Claude and Stark-designed Carnegie Library in Rochelle, IL, PrairieMod pal, John Clouse, was kind enough to send some photos of other Claude and Stark libraries he's visited. See all the photos after the jump...
Here's a link to a little editorial celebrating the town of Rochelle, IL's special Carnegie library: The Claude and Stark designed Prairie School building that still shines today. Check out more here.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust has announced the full list of homes on the Wright Plus 2012 tour to be held Saturday June 2, 2012 in Oak Park, IL. Included in the mix are some pretty phenomenal Wright-designed homes, as well as a few other Prairie School era gems. See the whole list here and make sure to order your tickets before they are sold out!
Curbed Chicago reports that the George W. Maher-designed Charles R. Erwin House (1905) in Oak Park, IL has hit the market and can be yours for $1.8 million. See photos and details of this Prairie School home here.
Architectural photographer and blogger, Lee Bey, shines the spotlight on the Schoenhofen Brewery near 18th and Canalport in Chicago. The 1902 Prairie School building was designed by Schmidt, Garden & Martin and has been beautifully restored/renovated and awaits new use. Follow the link to read and see more about this preservation victory.
The beautiful Wright-designed Susan Dana Lawrence House in Springfield, IL is once again open to the public after an extensive rehabilitation project. Follow the link to learn about the behind the scenes work on this important Prairie School era work of architecture.
Buffalo Business First reports that the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed D.D. Martin House recently received $250,000 from Louis Ciminelli, president and chief executive officer of LPCiminelli Co., as seed money towards for a $750,000 challenge grant that will lay a foundation for an estimated $5 million needed for the house's interior renovations. Read more about it here.
President Obama gave Prairie School props to Walter Burley Griffin on his recent visit to Canberra, Australia saying :
"I know I am not the first guy from Chicago to come to these parts,’’ he said. ‘‘A century ago, Walter Burley Griffin came here with a vision for this city. He said, ‘I have planned a city that is not like any other in the world’. Tonight I want to thank all of you and the people of Australia for the hospitality that is unlike any other in the world.’’
As readers may know, Canberra is the city Griffin and wife Marion Mahony influenced through their competition winning design in 1912.
Read the current affairs article here and learn more about the 1912 Canberra design competition here.
The John Toomey Gallery's next auction on December 4, 2011 will feature several impressive and important 20th Century items. As I perused the electronic catalog, one offering stuck out on page 68: Lot 350 George W. Maher-designed game table and two chairs from the 1906 Ernest J. Magerstadt House in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood. Read more after the jump...
Triblocal.com reports that North Central College has renamed the 1916 Truitt House, one of three Prairie School homes in Naperville, IL designed by architect Harry Franklin Robinson.
The college owns the home and decided to rename it the Abe House in honor of long-time alumni supporters, William and Mary Abe. Read more about it here.
I recently posted about the Prairie Style kit house Model # 2617 by the Gordon-Van Tine company that John D. discovered near Mt. Dora, FL. After a little more digging, I came across info on a Gordon-Van Tine website that another version of that same model was built and can be found in the tiny town of New Bedford, IL.
Unfortunately, I don't have an address for either of them. If any readers are near Mt. Dora, FL or New Bedford, IL and can report back for the rest of us, I'd appreciate it!
UPDATE: John D. provided the address for the Florida kit house— 605 East Washington St., Eustis, FL. Thanks John!
Thanks to Jen B. for a couple of links to some amazing Prairie School gems for sale in Mason City, IA, including the 1920 George Romey house by architect Fred Lippert and the 1911 Arthur L. Rule House by Walter Burley Griffin. It's a chance to live Prairie in a wonderful architectural Midwest town!
PrairieMod reader John D. sent a link to a blog post on transformationsandwhispers about a Prairie Style kit house in Central Florida. Check it out here.
We recently posted on a Purcell and Elmslie designed and Niedecken executed table that appeared in the recent issue of Style 1900. Well, we heard from the table's owner, Perry P., and he was kind enough to share a few more images and a period photo of it in the Minnesota Phonograph Company showroom from the January 1915 issue of the Western Architect. Enjoy them all after the jump...
