Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park and Historic Preservation Month (and beyond)

While I am not a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright's ideas about cities ("Broadacre City") and maybe he had some issues with engineer, he did a lot of incredibly interesting work as an architect.

There is a large agglomeration of his work remaining in the Chicago area, especially in Oak Park.

1.  This weekend in Oak Park, Illinois, Wright Plus 2013, sponsored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, will take place 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 18, 2013.

Combining authentic restoration with modern livability, the eight private homes featured on the 39th Annual Wright Plus Architectural Housewalk will showcase the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright and his contemporaries in the historic district of Oak Park, Ill.

Wright Plus 2013, sponsored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, will take place 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 18, 2013.

The all-day event will feature rare interior tours of the following private homes, including four that have never been on the housewalk before:

• Harry S. Adams House (1913) – Frank Lloyd Wright’s final Oak Park commission, reflecting his mature Prairie style.
• Robert P. Parker House (1892) – an early Wright house sensitively restored for today’s lifestyle.
• Louisa and Harry Goodrich House (1896) – highlights Wright’s emerging aesthetic and the owner’s period restorations.
• T.S. Rattle House (George O. Gamsey, 1885) – a grand Victorian with an expansive addition and gardens. NEW to Wright Plus.
• W.A. Rogers House (Talmadge & Watson, 1906) – stunning art glass and original woodwork in this spectacular Arts & Crafts residence. NEW to Wright Plus.
• Frank Keefer House (E.E. Roberts, 1906) – exceptional Prairie design enhanced with a dynamic two-story expansion. NEW to Wright Plus.
• Flori Blondeel House No. 2 (John S. Van Bergen, 1914) – recent restoration with original woodwork and expansive two-story atrium addition. NEW to Wright Plus.
• Frank Long House (Leon Stanhope, 1929) – unique interpretation of the cottage style with new gardens and a charming undulating roof.
At each house, docents will discuss its architecture, history and the lifestyles of the original occupants.

Also new to the 2013 housewalk, the Cheney Mansion Oasis patio and solarium will provide respite throughout the day. Built in 1913 by Charles E. White, Jr., the Elizabeth F. Cheney Mansion evokes a gracious English country home.

Tickets are $100 each and $85 for members of the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. Included is admission to three landmark Wright buildings, the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio and Unity Temple in Oak Park, as well as the Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago. For more information, visit the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust website.

2. The Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, also in Oak Park, works to restore the Unity Temple, and sponsors a wide variety of events each month also.  They've raised $3+ million, but still need to raise $8 million more to complete the restoration of the building.

3. Starting in June, the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust sponsors bike-based tours of FLW buildings in Oak Park also, called the "Pedal Oak Park Bike Tour," which is held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning June 7 through September 29, starting promptly at 9:30 a.m.

The two-hour, fact-filled bicycle tour will stop at 22 Wright-designed structures in Oak Park’s Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District. Sites featured on this tour include Wright’s Home and Studio (1889/1898) and Unity Temple (1905). The tour will stop curbside at several houses that Wright designed for his neighbors, including the Frank Thomas House (1901), Arthur B. Heurtley House (1902), Edwin H. Cheney House (1903) and the George W. Furbeck House (1907).

Oak Park, Ill. boasts the world's highest concentration of Wright-designed structures in the world. Wright developed what became known as the Prairie style, which inspired residential architecture throughout the 20th century and continues to resonate today.

The tour begins and ends at Greenline Wheels, 105 S. Marion St., Oak Park, Ill. Guests may bring their own bicycles. If a bike is needed, Greenline Wheels will provide one at no additional cost. Admission is $30 for Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust members and $35 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Home and Studio Museum Shop, 951 Chicago Ave.; or at Greenline Wheels.