He’s the Greatest (And He’d Agree)

In a 1991 nationalsurvey, the American Institute of Architects recognized one of Wisconsin’snative sons, Frank Lloyd Wright, as “the greatest American architect of all time.”Born in Richland Center in 1867, Wright grew up in Madison and then made SpringGreen home for most of his life. As a result, our state is host to anextraordinary collection of public and private buildings designed by Wright,including some right here in Milwaukee.

According to Shirley duFresne McArthur, author of Frank LloydWright: American System-Built Homes in Milwaukee, Wright often focused hisinterests on designing affordable housing for moderate- and low-incomefamilies. In 1911 the architect began work on an idea that he had been mullingover for at least a decade: pre-cut, prefabricated housing, known today as theAmerican System-Built Homes. The system involved cutting the lumber and othermaterials needed to build a structure in a mill or factory, and then bringingthem to a site for assembly, thereby reducing the amount of wasted materialsand the cost of skilled labor needed at the building site.

In an article titled “Frank Lloyd Wright’sEarliest System of Low-Cost Housing,” MichaelLilek writes, “Wright produced more than 900working drawings and sketches of various designs for the system.” Milwaukeedeveloper Arthur Richards acted as manufacturer and contractor for thearchitect’s series of standardized homes. Between October 1915 and July 1916,six American System-Built Homes were constructed on Burnham Street and LaytonBoulevard, just west of the old Polish South Side near what was the far edge ofMilwaukee.

As soon as the homeswere completed, Richards’ uncle, Charles Davis, listed them on the market. Anad in the March 4, 1917, Chicago Tribunereads, “The American System of home building enables you to securehomescorrect and charming in design, perfect in taste and intelligent inarrangementputting at your command the services of Frank Lloyd Wright,America’s foremost creative architectwithout extra cost.” When no buyers cameforward, however, Richards’ City Real Estate Co. had to rent the houses. ByDecember of that year, the Rellum Land Co. purchased the Burnham properties andbegan selling them in 1919.

Wright and Richardsbelieved the American System-Built Homes would be a resounding success, butAmerica’s entry into World War I in April 1917 changed the playing field.Building materials were diverted to the county’s wartime needs, essentiallyhalting the construction of new housing. The architect’s commitment todesigning Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, coupled with the public’s souring opinion ofhim due to his personal indiscretions, curtailed Wright’s dream of providinglow-cost housing to working Americans on a wide scale. But the six AmericanSystem-Built Homes still stand, a testament to Milwaukee’s unique architecturalheritage, and the influence Frank Lloyd Wright had on it.

For more information, contact the FrankLloyd Wright Wisconsin Heritage Tourism Program Inc., a nonprofit organizationcreated to “promote, protect and preserve the heritage of Frank Lloyd Wright inhis native state of Wisconsin.”