Frank Lloyd Wright's Laurent House to Open in Rockford, Illinois

  • May 6, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright's Laurent House to Open in Rockford, Illinois
A series of events beginning on 4th June will celebrate the opening, and coincides with what would have been Wright's 147th birthday on 8th June.

The home, considered by Wright as one of the 35 best works of his career, is the only building ever designed by the famed architect for a person with a disability. Kenneth Laurent was a disabled, wheel-chair-bound World War II veteran who, at the prompting of his wife, contacted Wright asking him to design a home to meet his unique needs.

The Laurents commissioned the home in 1948 and lived there from 1952 until early 2012, when the home and all of its original Frank Lloyd Wright-designed furniture was acquired by the Laurent House Foundation and added to the National Register of Historic Places.

This single-story Usonian home is both functional and beautiful, meeting the needs of its owner decades ahead of the Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility requirements. The modest home is built of Chicago Common Brick and Red Tidewater Cypress. With much of the labor and materials used to build the home sourced locally in Rockford.

Restoration architect John Eifler & Associates Architects commented “The building is unique in that it has been continually occupied by the original owners, and contains not only furnishings designed by the architect, but many personal items of the owners. In other words, it is a complete work of art”.

Following the opening weekend, the home will be open for tours on the first and last weekend of each month, and by appointment for group tours.

Visit website: https://www.laurenthouse.com/

For further information on Rockford and its attractions, visit www.gorockford.co.uk