The Battle To Save A Frank Lloyd Wright Classic

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Mar 18th 2010 at 10:02PM

The B. Harley Bradley House in Kankakee, Illinois may not look like much to the uninitiated but preservationists interested in preserving the legacy of architect Frank Lloyd Wright want to make sure it has a new life as a house museum and arts education center. Some say that the home marks the beginning of the architect's Prairie Style.

Pieces of the home have already been removed and auctioned off. Years ago Barbra Streisand paid $176,000 for its Frank Lloyd Wright-designed desk. This week a pair of leaded-glass windows, removed from the dining room sideboard years ago, sold for $15,000 at Christie's New York. Blair Kamin, who writes the Chicago Tribune's Cityscapes blog reports that a University of Illinois architecture professor and his wife hope to turn the house over to activists to create a Frank Lloyd Wright center. They want $1.9 million, a price which would make this one of the town's top properties.

The nonprofit Wright in Kankakee foundation hopes to raise $170,000 by June for a down payment. So far they've got around $70,000. While the exterior of the seven-bedroom structure may seem a bit humble (it's no Fallingwater), the interior is another matter. The home features many of Wright's beautiful art glass windows and the elegantly-proportioned rooms are full of Wright's carefully crafted wood built-in pieces.

The home has an interesting history, its namesake was the grandson of a Chicago farm implement manufacturer who in the late 19th century moved his factory into the area. Later the home was owned by a president of the National Audubon Society who used the house's stable into a bird-house factory. In the 1950s it became a restaurant. The story takes a macabre turn in 1987. Stephen Small bought the home in 1986 to create a bed and breakfast but one night in 1987 kidnappers lured him to the house and then buried him alive in a box in a wooded area while they held him for ransom. Sadly Small's box did not have adequate ventilation and he died. The home was later used as law offices and then finally in 2005 Gaines and Sharon Hall bought Bradley House to save and restore it. The couple has put more than $1 million into restoration and in 2009 the Bradley House was put on the National Register of Historic Places. The Halls put the house on the market last year but no one was interested. The area is also full of Wright house museums and in a time when smaller museums have been closing left and right, can the local economy support another? Should the activists succeed in their quest they will still have to find a way to help the property become self-sustaining.

A number of Frank Lloyd Wright homes have stayed on the market for years. Two in the Los Angeles area alone have been on the market for a while and faced large price cuts and the Save Wright website has a list of Wright homes for sale around the U.S.

Tags: architecture preservation, bradley house, frank lloyd wright, house museums, house preservation, illinois, kankakee, prairie style, preservationist

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

David S. Mar 21st 2010 7:29AM

Well, I am glad they are trying to make a museum out of the home. These treasures need to be saved. In Cincinnati, there is a battle going on to save a historic house once owned by James Gamble, the founder of Proctor and Gamble. The foundation that owns it claims it would cost too much money to bring the home up to standard (it was abandoned for some time) even though they have millions and millions of dollars. They are fighting it in court to have it torn down, the residents of that community want to turn it into a museum for the Gamble family. Hopefully the court will give it a historic designation soon and that should stop the demolition.

cassideee2 Mar 21st 2010 7:39AM

David, I'm very familiar with the Gamble House situation, I visit their Facebook page often and read articles about it. I feel terrible about the absolute need for some people to destroy our history. These houses are not just wood and glass and metal, they represent where we've come from, the only standing testament to years-gone-by, and people are so quick to 'move into the future.' It's awful, and many homes have been destroyed because, simply put, nobody cares enough about history to make such a commitment. Such a pity.

Moonkitty Mar 21st 2010 2:25PM

It's a HOUSE people...who cares. Frank L. Wright was just a MAN people...not God.

mary Mar 21st 2010 9:11AM

It always saddens and angers me when I hear that these architectural treasures are considered nothing but "old tear downs" Are you kidding me. I would be happy being the cleaning lady in one of these monuments to the greatest architect of our time. Once these homes are gone they are gone. It would be inconcievable to replicate one in the future just so in the future. And besides for the price why not live in a home filled with history and museum quality craftmanship than a far more inferior home of equal cost.

allyndp Mar 21st 2010 9:32AM

How many Frank Loyd Wrights homes have to be made into museums at the cost of thirty to six hundred times the cost of the original home? For cripes sake there are FLW homes all over the country. The one here near Buffalo took millions to restore. That money could have built many many shelters for the homeless.
Every location seems to think their location is the most notable. Such a waste of time an money that surely could go to better use.

pbihomes Mar 21st 2010 9:46AM

The homeless want to be homeless but we have enough museums and libraries. A little town near me wants to build a little library while there is a huge fabulous library 2 miles away. When will the stuff stop. My PA home is in the poorest county in the state but the school district put in a new surface on their football field that raised the school taxes throughout the county by 33%. This is for kids that are trailer trash and whose families pay no income taxes cause they are on welfare and their house is not worth anything

Miataboy Mar 21st 2010 10:12AM

It's a real quandary if you've ever read any of the biographical material on Wright. He himself believed a building shouldn't outlive its usefulness and he was always willing to demolish a structure if he could build something better.

He's also America's most celebrated architect and the logic of his designs is timeless. His homes can be copied, but never duplicated. Therefore, I'm in the camp that says save as many as possible.

guambetty Mar 21st 2010 11:06AM

My comment is a question; any one out there old enough to remember the name of Wright`s daughter, the actress, in the 1940----50`s? Thanks!

Marie Mar 21st 2010 11:56AM

The only "Wright" actress that was famous during the 40's and 50's that I can think of was Teresa Wright, but she isn't related to Frank Lloyd Wright....

I'm curious now, what is the answer?

JoAnn Olson Mar 21st 2010 11:59AM

Could that be Teresa Wright?

janie wigley Mar 21st 2010 12:44PM

Catherine Wright was FLW's daughter. Her daughter was Anne Baxter an actress in the 40's & 50's. She starred opposite Bette Davis in the movie All About Eve.

flbob Mar 21st 2010 4:29PM

Wilbur????

janie wigley Mar 21st 2010 12:36PM

Frank Lloyd Wright's granddaughter, Ann Baxter, was an actress in the 40's and 50's. She played in a movie opposite Bette Davis as Davis' understudy. Baxter's character stole the role from Davis and also took Davis' husband in the movie. I can't remember the title of the movie.

flbob Mar 21st 2010 4:31PM

Anne Baxter was Wright's Grand daughter, not his daughter.

Laurie Mar 21st 2010 1:27PM

Mini Biography
Anne Baxter was born in Michigan City, Indiana, on May 7, 1923. She was the daughter of a salesman and his wife, Catherine, who herself was the daughter of Frank Lloyd Wright, the world-renowned architect.

So Anne was FLW grandaughter, not his daughter.

Dave Mar 21st 2010 1:11PM

I work on alot of older homes & have followed and studied different archit. designs. many of wrights desins were fundamentally wrong. His falling waters House in WI was terribly flawed. Would have been great for say Arizona with a dry climate., But come on Wisconsin, the home when restored a few years back exposed many problems, Mold, rotting, etc. I agree tear these dam things down and build something sustainable. I work for a government agency and it always amazes me, its always the same peaople who claim to care about the enviroment, go green blah, blah. and then they want to save these old energy hog, high maint., high upkeep places. The only thing is they,re constantly looking to pay for these restores on someone else's dime, wheter it be thru private donations or tax dollars (hard working citizens money). I've seen Millions put into old piece of sh#*s, and then the publics money has to keep paying the utilities and upkeep from now on. I have no problem if someone wants to seek private donations for the entire product, but come on. Its no wonder more than half the country's broke and yet they continue to spend money they don't have, because its not their money.

Architect Jun 13th 2010 1:00AM

You clearly know nothing about Frank Lloyd Wright or architecture. Falling Water is not in Wisconsin, but Pennsylvania.

Falling Water was saved because it is the single most significant residential design of the 20th Century. There's not an architectural school in the entire world that doesn't teach that. Pick up any text book. There it is. http://www.home-designing.com/2009/10/live-in-falling-water-frank-lloyd-wrights-masterpiece

Older buildings, like cars, need regular maintenance. Even with that, they'll need an overhaul after an extended period.

The notion that older buildings are not energy efficient is bogus. Existing windows, roofs, walls and floors with proper work can be made much efficient than anything built now. The materials in older buildings with their dense clear wood and superior craftsmanship can't be matched today. LEED standards have been re evaluated to consider that, as well as considering the embodied energy contained within an existing buildings. http://www.wbdg.org/resources/sustainable_hp.php

It's a shame we live in a world with an attitude everything is disposable. Great buildings should be regarded no differently than the great music, paintings or sculptures. To be cared for and preserved for all generations to learn from and enjoy. http://blog.tmsarchitects.com/inspirations/the-importance-of-preserving-historical-buildings/

Frank Lloyd Wright stands among the greatest artists of all time. This isn't disputed in the world of architecture or art. Try looking at Ken Burns documentary on Wright. The film interviews just about every renown expert on the subject.

alysse Mar 21st 2010 1:13PM

Tough call, but living in my city who took down all the classic architecture. I say save it. It is our history. But maybe find a way to make it useful again. Wright wanted his buildings used and I agree. I don't think museums count unless they are actually teaching something (wright's way of looking at things) Maybe tutor classrooms, artist studios etc. Let them save themselves.

janie wigley Mar 21st 2010 12:59PM

How do you know the homeless want to be homeless? You need to check your facts to see that the majority of homeless people are children. If a parent works at a minimum wage job or even a job paying $8 per hour, how in the world can they pay all of their bills and still eat? What if that hard-working American is laid off from their job? If someone only makes minimum wage, there is no way to have an emergency cushion in the bank. In the type of economic situation in which we are in, many people are one paycheck away from being on the street. Your landlord won't let you live in your home rent free. Your utility companies won't let you use their power and gas for free. The grocery story requires that you pay when you check out. You shouldn't be so judgmental. Everyone doesn't have the ability to go to college or the ability to obtain credit in order to sustain themselves when they lose a job. You need to have compassion for those less fortunate than you. One never knows when one may lose everything.