Peter A. Beachy House

The Peter A. Beachy House is a home in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois that was entirely remodeled by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1906. The house that stands today is almost entirely different from the site's original home, a Gothic cottage. The home is listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District, which was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Peter A. Beachy House
LocationOak Park, Cook County, Illinois
Coordinates41°53′29″N 87°47′59″W
Built1906[1]
ArchitectFrank Lloyd Wright
Architectural stylePrairie style
Part ofFrank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District (ID73000699[2])
Added to NRHPDecember 4, 1973

History

The original home, a Gothic cottage, was almost entirely replaced when banker Peter A. Beachy commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to "remodel" the home. The house is set at right angles to the street to utilize part of the cottage's original foundation and take full advantage of a southern exposure. Wright built this house after returning from a trip to Japan, and the exterior has several Japan-inspired elements.[3]

Architecture

Though the Beachy House incorporates an earlier structure, the original building is completely obliterated on the interior. The only points that the original house, known as the Fargo House, still exist are found in the basement of the Beachy House. The house has seven gables and sits on the largest residential lot in Oak Park.[4] Much of the furniture in the house was also Wright designed but the windows contained only wooden muntins, no leaded or colored glass. However, Wright designed leaded-glass light fixtures which are used throughout the house.[4]

  • Peter A. Beachy House (1906), 238 Forest Avenue, by Frank Lloyd Wright, Oak Park, IL
  • Peter A. Beachy House (1906), Frank Lloyd Wright, Oak Park, IL

Significance

The Peter A. Beachy House is an example of Wright's prairie design work. It is listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District.[5] The historic district joined the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[2] The Peter A. Beachy House is one of three homes in Oak Park that Wright was commissioned to "remodel." The other two are the 1906 Hills-DeCaro House, which was under renovation when the Hills House was built, and the William H. Copeland House, also on Forest Avenue.[6]

Notes
  1. Frank Lloyd Wright Architectural Guide Map, Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. "Peter A. Beachy House," Oak Park Tourist, excerpted from: Sprague, Paul E. Guide to Frank Lloyd Wright & Prarire School Architecture in Oak Park Oak Park Bicentennial Commission of the American Revolution [and] Oak Park Landmarks Commission, Village of Oak Park: 1986, (ISBN 0961691506). Retrieved 31 May 2007.
  4. Heinz, Thomas A. The Vision of Frank Lloyd Wright, Chartwell Books, Inc., Edison, New Jersey: 2006, pp. 117-118, (ISBN 0785821457).
  5. "Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District," Property Information Report, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved 3 June 2007.
  6. "Hills-DeCaro House," (PDF), Oak Park Landmark Nomination Form, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved 3 June 2007.
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References
  • Storrer, William Allin. The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion. University Of Chicago Press, 2006, ISBN 0-226-77621-2 (S.117)
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