The Site
The Thomas house was built on the site of Grace Church, an Episcopal church established in Oak Park in 1879. The church building was completed in 1883.
After about 10 years, the congregation began to contemplate expanding the church or building a new church. Church expansion was originally approved, but then rescinded in favor of the construction of a new church. A site on Lake street was purchased in 1894. For the next several years money was raised, then in June, 1900, the cornerstone of the new church was laid. Soon after, the property on Forest Avenue was sold to Mr and Mrs J. C. Rogers .
The Commission
In early 1901, James Campbell Rogers hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design a house as a wedding present for his daughter, Susan Ann Rogers, and her husband, Frank Wright Thomas. The Thomas' were married June 14, 1900, and county records show that a deed was issued to Mary C Rogers on July 23, 1901. Wright's drawings were dated September 14, 1901.
Although the house was a wedding gift, according to the Thomas family, there were some restrictions:
He gave his daughter Susan the house as a wedding gift, but with stipulations that he and his wife Mary would have a home there as needed in their old age. Grandmother Rogers lived in the house after James Campbell Rogers died. [Otto Doering III, granson of Frank and Susan Thomas]
Also:
This house was built as a wedding present?
Yes, well almost as a wedding present. Grandfather was very Scotch. That’s what he told my mother and father, but actually they paid rent to my grandmother every month until grandmother died and that is when they got the house. [Lucy Thomas Doering, daughter of Frank and Susan Thomas]
The Thomas' did not actually own the house until they inherited it in 1930.
The Thomas house was one of 5 projects attributed to the brief Wright - Henry Tomlinson partnership of 1901 - 1902. The others are the William Fricke house, the E. Arthur Davenport house, the F. B. Henderson house, and the Victor Metzger house (unbuilt.) Per Thomlinson, this partnership was for business purposes only; Tomlinson said he had nothing to do with designing the projects attributed to their association.
The House
The Thomas house is the first Prairie house Wright designed in Oak Park. It is also the first of Wright's homes with an above ground basement; the family living quarters are on the second and third floors, with servants quarters and support areas on the first. Other classic Prairie features include the low, wide prairie chimney, low pitched hipped roof, wide overhanging eaves, sheltered terraces and porches, and bands of windows. Like many of Wright's Prairie houses, the entrance is circuitous — after passing through the entrance arch a flight of stairs to the left leads up to a landing, then another flight of stairs leads to the entrance at the second level. The room extending out toward Forest avenue is the dining room; the living room extends north towards an open terrace. Wright deliberately omitted any large windows looking south, towards the Emerson Ingalls rowhouses next door — the house was sited to minimize visibility of the rowhouses and instead highlighted views of Henry Austin's lush, naturalistic lot across Forest.
In 1922, the Thomas' commissioned a three story addition to the rear of the house. It is not visible from the street. The addition was designed by the firm of Talmadge & Watson, and was designed in the same style as the original house.
In 1936 the building's exterior stucco finish was removed and replaced with dark stained wood shingles. With the stucco surfaces being 35 years old, it may have been less expensive to remove the deteriorating stucco and replace with the wood shingles. The shingles were stained a dark brown at the ground level and a medium gray at the first and second levels. All of the exterior wood trim was painted a deep yellow.
Restoration
In the early 1970s the house appeared as in the photo at left. The original stucco finish has been replaced with wood shingles. The 2nd floor terrace off the living room has been enclosed. The walls leading to the entrance have been lowered in height, or perhaps entirely replaced.
In the late 1970's a major restoration of the house was undertaken by the then current owners. The work included:
- All the exterior wood shingles were removed, and a new stucco finish and wood trim was installed. Original colors were restored.
- An exterior handicap ramp at the side and rear of the house was removed.
- The porch and terrace areas were rebuilt, including a prow shaped planter at the entry stair which had been removed.
- The entry walls were rebuilt to their original height according to Wright's drawings.
- All the original art glass windows were removed, restored and replaced.
The current owners have continued the restoration of the house. Major items include:
- The hidden rain roof gutters were relined and lead-coated copper flashing and
downspouts installed. - Substantial portions of the exterior wood trim detail, including the inset beading, was replaced.
- The front stair with detailed columns and spindle work was reconstructed.
- The porch and terrace decking was repaired and/or rebuilt.
- The interior wood floors were stripped and refinished.
- They analyzed and restored the original paint colors and plaster finishes throughout the entire house.
- Five existing layers of roofing that replaced the original wood shingles were removed. New asphalt shingles were installed.
Research for this house © Jack Lesniak, 2010. Do not reproduce without permission.
Photos
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