Our Frank Lloyd Wright Project

The Origin of This Quest…

In the Fall of 2022, I added a visit to Taliesin West in Phoenix, Arizona, to a rock art trip I planned to Petrified Forest National Park.  About all I knew about Taliesin West was that the architect Frank Lloyd Wright (FLLW) included some petroglyph boulders into the design of his summer home/compound.  While it was the petroglyphs that drew me to Taliesin West, the architecture and culture that I experienced there piqued my curiosity and touched my soul.  I knew I wanted to know more about FLLW and his life.  At the Taliesin West gift shop, I purchased a copy of The Fellowship, The Untold Story of Frank Lloyd Wright & The Taliesin Fellowship, by Roger Friedland & Harold Zellman.  I was soon immersed in the amazing world of Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as the magnificent legacy he left behind in his iconic architectural structures.  I learned that he lived life with the same flair and creativity that was apparent in his architecture.  His ideas, his genius, and the architectural wonders he produced over his long career beckoned to me. I was overcome with a desire to experience more of the physical spaces he created, and the ideas he espoused verbally and with the written word.  This blog is the result of my efforts to fulfill that desire. Somehow, I managed to convince Dorothy that she might enjoy FLLW sites, and, lucky for me, she was all in.  Turns out her aunt and uncle, Tom and Lucille McCleary, were Rice University graduate architects and designed many homes that reminded her of FLLW.  They designed their own personal home in Houston, near Memorial Park, as well as my wife’s family home on the bay in Port Lavaca, Texas, and each of these homes contained many design features that seem to have been inspired by FLLW work.  I am so grateful that my wonderful wife was willing to join me on these adventures!

Foundational Experiences…

Prior to my visit to Taliesin West, I had visited only one other FLLW structure.  During a trip to New York City in September of 2018, Dorothy and I visited the Guggenheim Museum.  I honestly didn’t know that it was a FLLW design, but I was captivated by the unique outward appearance of the building, and even more intrigued by the amazing interior space.

Growing up in Orange, Texas, I was not exposed to much forward-looking architecture.  But my friend Brady Miller lived in a home that, I now know, bore many of the design characteristics of a FLLW Usonian structure.  The open living area, with a wall of windows looking out at the backyard, the beautiful fireplace and woodwork, and the amazing “black bathroom” complemented the horizontal outside profile of the home.    

Time to Get Started On The Project and Take a Trip…

Once I was back at home after my visit to Taliesin West, I ordered a copy of the Fourth Edition of Wright Sites — A Guide To Frank Lloyd Wright Public Places, published by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy and edited by Joel Hoglund.   This wonderful little book is a comprehensive guide to FLLW sites that are open to the public and is a wonderful resource.  With this little book in hand, I began to plan our first “Frank Lloyd Wright Project” trip.  Since we were fast approaching Christmas and winter weather, we decided to head east to sunny Florida, and visit three FLLW properties.  For a blog about this inaugural trip, look here.  We had a great time, and enjoyed the architecture we saw and the people we met.  We soon realized that each FLLW site has a rich history, and is tended to by people who are passionate about the man and his work. 

The Fruits of Our Labor…

Below you can access pages that contain information and photos about each of the FLLW sites we have visited.  Click on the thumbnail of the site in which you are interested, and you will be taken to the page.  We have arranged the sites into two groups:  sites we have toured, and sites we were only able to see from the street (“drive-by).  Each group of sites is arranged alphabetically.  We hope you enjoy the histories and photos of these sites as much as we enjoyed experiencing the sites in person! 

Sites We Have Toured or Otherwise Had Access To

Miscellaneous “Drive-by” Sites

Phoenix, AZ, Area “Drive-by” Sites

Los Angeles, CA, Area “Drive By” Sites

Michigan “Drive By” Sites
[Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Grand Rapids, & Galesburg]
August 30 – September 3, 2024