Springfield Illinois, like many American cities that were founded in the 19th century and built primarily by European immigrants or first generation Americans, features older homes that reflect the design aesthetics of 18th and 19th century Europe, especially Victorian and neo-classical styles.
Many of the homes of the 19th century's wealthier residents reflected their owner's heritage, or rather, a fantasized version of their heritage that included the turrets of medieval castles and bay windows like those seen on British country homes that had been built in the Italianate style.
The rule of thumb seemed to be that the wealthier a homeowner was, the more castle or manor-like their house had to be.
Of course, homeowners of more modest means built houses too, but the designs were far simpler and less indulgent.
Then there was the young widow Susan Lawrence Dana.
Near the turn of the 19th century she inherited a considerable fortune, as well as an Italianate mansion on the corner of 3rd and East Lawrence in Springfield, and decided she wanted to renovate the home into something unique and impressive, but also much different than what was currently considered unique and impressive.
She searched far and wide for an architect who would be able to turn her old stodgy mansion into something new and exciting, something that reflected her bold and independent spirit (this was a woman who, ten years after she had this house built, when she was 49, married a 25-year old - we're talking original cougar here).
She found her man in Frank Lloyd Wright, who, along with his team of five men and two women, had set about creating what was to become known as the Prairie Style. The year this house was commissioned, 1902, was the year the Prairie Style reached full maturity.
This particular house is somewhat of a mash-up between the clean lines of the Prairie Style and the then-current vogue for all things Japanese.
Lloyd Wright's team of architects, draftsmen, designers and other artisans went far beyond a simple renovation of the Italianate mansion. They designed and built a whole new home, complete with over 400 stained glass windows, door panels, wall sconces, lamps, and skylights (at least according to the tour guide - that's way too much counting for me).
Susan Lawrence Dana and Frank Lloyd Wright both shared an interest in Japanese culture, art, and architecture, and the Japanese influences are evident throughout the house, and especially in the design of the roof.
The tour guide related that FLW was given an unlimited budget. The house took two years to build, and when it was finished, furnishings and all, the tally was $60,000. That's a bit over 1.6 million in 2014 dollars.
The house is a remarkably well-preserved example of Frank Lloyd Wright's work, inside and out.
The only occupants of the house before it was acquired by the state of Illinois were the original occupant, Susan Lawrence Dana from 1904 until 1928, and Charles C. Thomas, who bought the home in 1944.
When her fortune started to dwindle, Susan Lawrence Thomas closed the main house and moved into a smaller home on the grounds until she began to suffer from dementia in the 1940's. The house and it's contents were then sold to Mr. Thomas, a publisher who bought the home in 1944 and lived in it until 1981.
Charles C. Thomas and his wife fully appreciated the value of maintaining the house and the original furnishings and fixtures. They sold the house to the state of Illinois in 1981 for one million dollars, which was a heckuva deal for the state, as the furnishings alone could have been sold at auction for that much.
The house underwent a three-year restoration in the late '80's, reopening in 1990 looking very much like it did when it was finished in 1904.
FLW designed every element of a house, including gates, fences, walls and railings. This gate is made of wood, and for being 110 years old (that's 110 mid-west winters...) is in remarkably great shape.
The emphasis on clean lines and the lack of superfluous decoration do not make the house feel clinical, which is what I was somewhat expecting. On the contrary, the house has a warm and comfortable ambiance to it.
No area of the home was considered unimportant or not worthy of attention. Even the back door was decorated with a sumac-themed stained glass window panel.
Photography is verboten inside the house, but I just had to sneak two pics with my phone. The pic above was taken from one of two musician's balconys and shows the entryway to the home - the way the sunlight came through the front door and lit up that area was flat out brilliant.
This window is actually nine separate pieces of art glass that are hanging in front of six separate windows. It is as spectacular a window as I have ever seen.
There was a nice architectural model of the house inside the house, but the tour guide said 'No photography inside the house" even when I asked nice and polite like. I suspect she may have guessed I took the two previous pics when I was lagging behind the group.
However, there was this model of the house made of Legos in the administration offices, which, while not quite to scale, is still pretty damn impressive!
If you like FLW, and happen to be in Springfield, Illinois, stop by the house and take the $5.00 tour. it's a well-spent hour of your time.
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