The Russel and Ruth Kraus Residence at Ebsworth Park

1951

120 N. Ballas Road
Kirkwood (St. Louis), MO 63122

Dorothy and I took a tour of the Russell and Ruth Kraus Residence at Ebsworth Park at 1:00 p.m. on the afternoon of Saturday, March 25,  2023.  Frank Lloyd Wright designed this home in 1951 in the Usonian Style for Russell, an artist, and Ruth, an attorney.  To this day, it remains an excellent example of the late Usonian style.  Wright designed the home on an ambitious and complex geometric grid of 4-foot by 4-foot, 60 degree/120 degree paralellagrams.  The Krauses had problems finding a contractor who was willing to tackle the unusual specifications Wright laid out for the home.  They finally  hired Lee Patterson, a young Korean War vet, who built the home.  In 1956, they moved in, but it was several years before the furniture and other matters were completely finished.  Ruth Kraus died in 1992, and, in February of 2001, Russell sold the home for $1.7 million to a non-profit (The Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park), who donated it to St. Louis County.  The County leased it back to the non-profit under an agreement whereby the County takes care of the turf, roads and trees, and the non-profit manages the home, taking care of maintenance and arranging for public tours.  The non-profit also raised the funds for a complete restoration of the residence.  The result of this arrangement is an impressive FLW structure that is in great condition and exactly conforms to Wright’s specifications.  Dorothy and I enjoyed our tour of this treasure!  Below are galleries of my photos from our visit.  By the way, if you would like to see our blog post of the trip that includes our visit to The Kraus House,  look here.  

Kraus Residence Gallery (Samsung S22)…