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<\/a><\/p>\nFrank Lloyd Wright C3 Drawing. Image courtesy of Frank Lloyd Wright\u2019s Burnham Block.<\/p>\n
More than $800,000 will be spent renovating a 960-square-foot home to look as close as possible to the way it appeared when it was completed in 1916.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a project that would be farcical if not for two key elements: The property was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright<\/a> and sits in a row of six Wright-designed homes.<\/p>\n When the renovation is completed, the nonprofit that owns the property at 1835 S. Layton Blvd.<\/a> will operate it as a house museum.<\/p>\n The house is known as \u201cModel C3,\u201d a reference to its product number in a catalog of Wright-designed affordable homes. It is one of only three known to be in existence and would be the only one open to the public.<\/p>\n Known as American System-Built Homes, the program envisioned building quality, modern homes across the country using a series of design efficiencies, economies of scale, partial off-site construction and repeatable plans.<\/p>\n Milwaukee developer Arthur L. Richards<\/a> constructed six demonstration homes on the 2700 block of W. Burnham Street. But only about two dozen system-built homes were constructed across four states before World War I effectively canceled the project.<\/p>\n \t\tGet a daily rundown of the Milwaukee stories\t<\/p>\n Frank Lloyd Wright\u2019s Burnham Block, a nonprofit organization, has now acquired five of the Milwaukee homes.<\/p>\n \u201cHe had a grand vision of creating homes like this in every city, village and town across the country,\u201d said board president and block curator Mike Lilek<\/a> in an interview Monday. He highlighted Wright\u2019s strategies, like smaller windows with structural members inbetween, to maximize natural light while minimizing construction cost. \u201cThis is a grand vision to shelter everybody in a beautiful space.\u201d<\/p>\n The organization, a Milwaukee offshoot of an older statewide Wright-focused nonprofit, bought its first home in 2004 and opened for tours in 2009.<\/p>\n The house to the west of C3, an 805-square-foot B1 design, welcomes thousands of visitors every year. The three other homes the organization owns are used for various purposes: one is a gift shop and welcome center, another is rented and the third is in poor condition, awaiting renovation.<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal is for you to come here and experience the Burnham Block inside homes that look as they would have looked in 1916,\u201d said Lilek.<\/p>\n The organization welcomes everyone from fourth graders studying Wisconsin history to architectural historians. It hosts more than five thousand visitors annually.<\/p>\n The latest expansion is intended not only to preserve Wright\u2019s legacy, but also to grow the Burnham Block as a destination.<\/p>\n However, getting to that point will require a lot of work. Every window in the house will need to be rehabilitated, stucco siding reinstalled, several 1950s interior alterations removed, an addition converted back to a covered porch, the asphalt-shingled roof replaced with wood and multiple long-gone built-in fixtures recreated.<\/p>\n In some cases, like the roof or the siding, the original materials are still buried under layers of alterations. The materials will serve as a guide for finding suitable replacements.<\/p>\n In other cases, like the built-in fixtures, the neighboring D1 house or other Wright-designed homes will provide guidance alongside remaining blueprints.<\/p>\n The National Park Service awarded a $407,000 Save America\u2019s Treasures grant to cover half of the project\u2019s estimated cost. Lilek said the grant program is highly competitive and only about 10% of applications are approved.<\/p>\n The Barbara Elsner Meyer Foundation and Herzfeld Foundation<\/a> each provided $75,000 grants. More than 100 donors have also contributed to the project.<\/p>\n Ramlow\/Stein Architecture + Interiors<\/a> is leading the design.<\/p>\n The nonprofit hopes to complete the work by next September.<\/p>\n Prior to renovation, the nonprofit had leased the home to private tenants. It acquired the property in 2012.<\/p>\n Exterior Photos<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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Interior Photos<\/p>\n Drawings and Historic Photo<\/p>\n D1 Photos (Post-Renovation)<\/p>\n
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