Oak Park - Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture

Frank Lloyd Wright's Home & Studio has been restored to the way it was in 1909 when Wright used it as a testing ground for his latest ideas. This site was his personal residence for the first 20 years of his career.

Walking tours of the historic district and some buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Compact, efficient interior plans; long sloping roof lines with dormers are come of the characteristics. Stucco, fieldstone and shingles are the general materials used.

Examples of this style are:

410 North Kenilworth "1908" Architect: Edwin Ehrman

454 West Iowa Street "1905" Architect: Lawrence Buck

641 South Elmwood Avenue "1917"Architect: E E Roberts

The Pleasant Home, also known as the John Farson House is a Prairie-style home, built in 1897 by George W. Maher. Pleasant Home allows visitors to learn about the history and architecture of the early 20th century.

Italianate houses have tall, narrow windows, belvederes (towers), balconies, and verandas. Decorative brackets are located under the low-pitched roofs.

Examples of this style are:

299 North Forest Avenue "1881" Architect: Henderson Judd

511 Edgewood Place "1858"

344 Keystone Avenue "1880"

This style features a large central chimney, low pitched roof, wide eaves and banded windows. Stucco or brick were most commonly used with bands of wood trim at the base, windows and roof edge.

Examples of this style are:

318 Forest Avenue "1902" Architect: Arthur Heurtley

603 Edgewood Place "1908" Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright

559 Edgewood Place "1910" Architect: William Drummond

562 Keystone Avenue "1909" Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright

628 Bonnie Brae Place "1909" Architect: William Gray Purcell

238 Forest Avenue "1906" Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright

210 Forest Avenue "1901" Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright

231 North Euclid Avenue "1907" Architect: Robert C Spencer

636 Linden Avenue "1914" Architect: Tallmadge & Watson

636 North East Avenue "1903" Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright

504 North East Avenue "1909" Architect: Tallmadge & Watson

540 Fair Oaks Avenue "1901" Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright

426, 432, 436 North Elmwood Avenue "1913/1914" Architect: John S Van Bergen

The Queen Anne features an irregular plan and various surface materials including stone, wood, and brick. The steeply pitched roof often has turrets and gables. Other common features are bay windows and a wrap-around porch.

Examples of this style are:

209 Forest Avenue "1893" Architect: George Hayden

210 Home Avenue "1892" Architect: Patton & Fisher

339 North Oak Park Avenue "1890" Architect: Wesley Arnold

115 North Oak Park Avenue "1893" Architect: Patton & Fisher

These styles include Colonial Revival, Tudor, Neoclassical, Renaissance, French and Spanish Revival.

Examples of these styles are:

312 North Kenilworth Avenue "1905" Architect: W H Gale

727 Keystone Avenue "1915" Architect: Spencer & Powers

838 Franklin Avenue "1924" Architect: Tallmadge & Watson

The shingle style evolved from the Queen Anne and features a unified shingle surface. The roof may be hipped, gable or gambrel. Sheltered porches and verandas allow the interior space to continue to flow.

Examples of this style are:

428 Forest Avenue "1889"Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright

404 Home Avenue "1898" Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright

Lake & Scoville "1889" Architect: Patton & Fisher

The Stick style is expressed through vertical and horizontal wood strips on the exterior filled with clapboard and shingles in various textures.

Examples of this style are:

308 North Kenilworth Avenue "1886" Architect: George Pratt

209 South Grove Avenue "1887" Architect: Cicero Hine

321 North Euclid Avenue "1879" Architect: Burnham & Root

Unity Temple was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905 for a Unitarian Universalist congregation. The concrete was used as structural and decorative material. Wood trim was used throughout the building in the balconies, around columns, and up the stairwells. Unity Temple was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.