From 800 square feet to 14,000 square feet

We began our first day of visiting Wisconsin FLW sites by being a little bit naughty. Knowing it would be closed to the public yesterday, we drove over to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Milwaukee hoping to at least see the outside and maybe even score a sneak peak of the inside. We arrived to a sign informing us that we’d turned onto a private drive and were on private property. Oops. 

Designed by FLW in 1956 and completed after his death, the church is constructed entirely of reinforced concrete. I understand the interior is breathtaking, but, alas, all I dared do was take a quick picture of the outside from the car window.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

From our quick stint of trespassing, we headed over to the Burnham Block,

also in Milwaukee. Here we toured several of FLW’s American System-Built Homes, originally designed to be affordable housing for the middle class. The idea was to have homes that could be constructed on site from pre-milled cuts of materials, a sort of IKEA idea for home building. Unfortunately, the homes were still too expensive for the average American, and with the onset of World War I, a financial disagreement with the developer, and the attention of FLW turning to other projects, the American System-Built Homes were never fully realized, though discoveries of other homes built in this manner are still being discovered today. What’s unique about the Burnham Block is the collection of several homes in one location. Interestingly, most of the homes were originally purchased by investors, not by individuals as Wright had envisioned, and turned into rental homes, sometimes duplexes, no more than 800 square feet in size. Today, one is an Airbnb. 

The first FLW home to be built on Burnham Block at number 2732 W Burnham Street. This one is a duplex, the steps in front leading to the second story and the ground floor entrance hidden on the right side. 

The most recently renovated Burnham Block home, at 2714. The house originally cost $5000. Renovations cost $500,000. 

In the above photo, the room on the right corner is the living room, which might appear quite small from the outside (remember, this is an 800 square foot home). However, FLW uses several of his hallmark techniques to enlarge its appearance. First, the outside doorway and small foyer into the home is compressed, such that when you enter the living room, the release into higher ceilings and wider walls, provides relief, like having felt slightly clostrophobic, then entering a great open space. 

The banks of windows meeting at a corner stud opens the space to the outside, and a faux tray ceiling, simply outlined with timbers, gives the illusion of a higher ceiling. 

After Paul bought a pair of FLW-inspired socks, we headed south to Racine to have a tour of Wingspread, a 14,000-square foot former home of SC Johnson head Herbert Fisk Johnson, Jr. Now a conference center, most all of the FLW touches are present. The building was constructed in a pinwheel-like design, with four wings extending out from a central grand hall. 

Wingspread, exterior view of the kitchen wing

Wingspread great hall with spiral staircase

Though not always practical in their design, FLW loved fireplaces. This one is in the children’s playroom at Wingspread. I’m sure it caused no problems. 


Wingspread example of windows forming the corners of the room, bringing the outside in. 


Classic FLW cantilevered structure on one of the Wingspread wings

After our full day of Frank Lloyd Wright, we headed back to our lovely Victorian B&B in Milwaukee and had a glass of Pinot Grigio in their garden. A great way to finish off a great day.