THE FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TOUR

Lute and Daniel Kissam House aka JM Compton House -Ravine Bluffs Development, 1915

1023 Meadow Road, Glencoe IL

The Kissam House is one of a series of seven houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and commissioned by Sherman Booth in what is known as the Ravine Bluffs Development of Glencoe, Illinois. Four of the houses are variations of "A Fireproof House for $5,000", a prototype house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Ladies Home Journal. The four variations of "A Fireproof House for $5,000" contain square plans. The first floor of the house contains the veranda facing the street, the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The second floor contains three bedrooms and balconies. Note the horizontal planter in the front yard.

William Kier House -Ravine Bluffs Development, 1915 

1031 Meadow Road, Glencoe IL

The Kier House is one of a series of seven houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and commissioned by Sherman Booth in what is known as the Ravine Bluffs Development of Glencoe, Illinois. Four of the houses are variations of "A Fireproof House for $5,000", a prototype house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Ladies Home Journal. The house is square in plan with the veranda, living room, dining room, and kitchen located on the first floor with the bedrooms on the second floor. The original open porch was altered to allow access to a later garage detached from the house to the rear.

Ross House aka Frank Finch House -Ravine Bluffs Development, Frank Lloyd Wright 1915

1027 Meadow Road, Glencoe IL

The RossHouse is a series of seven houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and commissioned by Sherman Booth in what is known as the Ravine Bluffs Development of Glencoe, Illinois. Four of the houses are variations of "A Fireproof House for $5,000", a prototype house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Ladies Home Journal. The Ross House is the only one of the five rental houses that does not share the same basic square plan. Here, the chimney is set far to the side as opposed to the center of the house . The house is currently in disrepair and unfortunately may be facing demolition.

Hollis Root House aka SJ Gilfillan House -Ravine Bluffs Development, 1915

1030 Meadow Road, Glencoe IL

The Hollis Root House is one of a series of seven houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and commissioned by Sherman Booth in what is known as the Ravine Bluffs Development of Glencoe, Illinois. Four of the houses are variations of "A Fireproof House for $5,000", a prototype house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Ladies Home Journal. The Root House is virtually identical in plan to the Charles Perry House, though it is marked in difference by flat roofs instead of gabled roofs. Originally the second floor of the Hollis Root House contained three bedrooms and a sleeping porch, though it has recently been turned into one large bedroom and a library. 

Charles R Perry House -Ravine Bluffs Development, Frank Lloyd Wright, 1915

272 Sylvan Road, Glencoe IL

The Perry House is one of a series of seven houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and commissioned by Sherman Booth in what is known as the Ravine Bluffs Development of Glencoe, Illinois. Four of the houses are variations of "A Fireproof House for $5,000", a prototype house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Ladies Home Journal. The Perry House is virtually identical in plan to the Hollis Root House, but is marked with gabled roofs instead of the flat roofs of the Root House. 

Ravine Bluffs Bridge & Ravine Bluffs Architectural Sculptures, 1915

Sylvan Road, Glencoe IL

The Ravine Bluffs Development was a unique endeavor for Frank Lloyd Wright. Sherman Booth, who was Frank Lloyd Wright's attorney at the time, and who helped coordinate the divorce between Frank Lloyd Wright and Catherine "Kitty" Tobin Wright, commissioned the development. The idea behind the Ravine Bluffs Development was to eventually create an entire subdivision designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Altogether, six houses, three architectural sculptures, and a bridge were created for the development. One house was designed for Sherman Booth himself, while the five other houses were designed as rental properties and are named for their first renters. Four of the rental properties of the Ravine Bluffs Development share the same basic house plan, a variant of "A Fireproof House for $5,000". The three architectural sculptures are identical and show influence of Richard Bock and Alfonso Ianelli, both famed Chicago sculptors who collaborated with Wright for different projects. The bridge of the development was the only bridge designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. One of the unique features of the bridge includes a built in seating area to admire the ravine over which it crosses.