This year’s Wright Plus Housewife takes place on Saturday, May 21, and some old favorites have been sold out as well as some new homes and newfound history.
Wright Plus Co-President Sue Blaine says the walk’s focus on the immediate neighborhood in which Wright lived and worked provides plenty of interesting context.
“You can look at Wright’s private house, which of course was built in three phases, and you’ll see the evolution of its design as you go through the house,” Blaine said. “What’s interesting about this year’s run is seeing the built environment for his work. You get to see what the environment looked like when Wright started and how his work differed so much from what was being done at the time.”
This year’s homes include eight private residences in Oak Park in Kenilworth and Forest Street as well as Elizabeth Court, which runs between the two.
Blaine says three homes—the Hayden, Kennedy, and Humphrey homes—are some of the most historic homes on the walk that are good examples of the design that was popular during the period in which they were built.
The Simon and Elizabeth Humphrey’s house 2 It was built in 1887. Its architect is unknown. The three-storey Queen Anne-style house has an interior with many original wood details and decorative mouldings.
Until this year, the house was known as Reed House, but Wright Plus researchers determined that the Reed family leased the house and that the original owners were Simon and Elizabeth Humphrey, for whom Elizabeth Court is named.
The David and Caroline Kennedy HouseDesigned by Patton & Fisher in 1888, it is a large-scale Queen Anne home with a gable roof and expansive front porch. When it was built, the house occupied a large space in the corner of Kenilworth and Elizabeth Court.
Over time, the plots of land were sold to form 9 and 11 Elizabeth C.T. As well as a plot of land located north of the house. In 1939, the homeowner defaulted on the mortgage, and the wagon house was separated from the main house and became an independent property.
The David and Caroline Kennedy / Charles and Bessie Boynton Coach House It was designed by Patton & Fisher in 1893 for the original owners of the Kennedy House. It is possible that the carriage house was originally planned to be a stable and later turned into a garage with an apartment on the second floor.
The Boyntons are honored with the Temple’s name because they are the owners who transformed the structure into a single family home.
The James and Helen Hayden House Designed by William K. Johnston in 1893. The Queen Anne-style house has a unique exterior of brick, cedar planks, and limestone.
The local landmark is significant because it is the only major known work of architect William K.
The John and Elsie Fit House Designed by architect William Barfield in 1905. The Prairie Style residence has a brick plinth with stucco above. The two-story house features a side entrance porch, wide roof, and brick chimneys.
The Edward and Mary Hills / Thomas and Erin Decaro HouseRedesigned by Wright in 1906, it is a Japanese-influenced prairie-style home.
When the house was built for William Gray in 1883, the house was a Victorian home. In 1900, his neighbor Nathan Moore bought the house as a wedding gift for his daughter Mary, after her marriage to Edward Hills, eventually bringing in Wright to remodel the house.
The house has been changed significantly throughout its history. Tom and Erin DeCaro bought the house in 1975 and began a renovation that was halted when a fire destroyed the house. DeCaros then restored the house, relying in part on Wright’s blueprints from his previous remodel.
The William and Francis Copeland House Wright redesigned it in 1909. Built in 1873 for William Harman, a little-known architect who designed the Italianate-style home on Forest Avenue. Wright redesigned the interior to reflect surgeon Copeland’s prairie style, renovated much of the main floor and designed dining room furniture for the family, too.
The Laura Gill HouseDesigned by Wright in 1909 on Elizabeth Court, it was the third home Wright designed for the Gallies Islands, after two homes he designed for them on Chicago Street.
The Prairie Style house is unique among Wright’s Oak Park for its very straight shapes and mass. It’s as if Wright was saying in this house, Blaine says, “I’m almost done prairie style. Look what we can do here.”
All eight homes have been extensively researched by Wright Plus volunteers, many of whom are experts in their fields.
“Our researchers are really looking and finding more information and things about the previous owners,” said Wright Plus co-chair Vicki Kwarciany. “It is a gift for our homeowners, even those who have been out for a walk before. Seekers always find new things.”
Blaine says these dates are a big draw for Wright Plus.
“You can talk about architecture — and we have great architecture,” Blaine said. “And you can talk about building materials, but other than that, guests really love to hear about the people who built and remodeled these homes and how they lived.”
Blaine says Wright Place allows guests to “imaginate what really happened here and why people called these places their homes. The walk shows us what makes a great home a home.”
Wright Plus 2022 sold out
Wright Plus 2022 marble tickets sold out a few weeks before the rally, marking a triumphant return to the venerable march after two years of pandemic turmoil.
Additionally, the Ultimate Plus Weekend package that includes express walking passes, hotel accommodations, a Friday Wright tour, and an exclusive dinner at Frank Lloyd Wright’s home is sold for $2,675.
Ultimate Saturday tickets that include express walk-through tickets and Wright’s lunch and dinner exclusively sell for $1,375.
The date is set for May 20, 2023 for the next Wright Plus, with ticket sales likely to begin in early 2023.
Related story
Research reveals a coherent history of Forest Avenue
