William H. Copeland House

Last updated
William H. Copeland House
William H. Copeland House.jpg
USA Illinois location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
William H. Copeland House
Interactive map showing the Copeland House’s location
Location400 Forest Ave Oak Park, IL 60302
Coordinates 41°53′35.21″N87°47′59.36″W / 41.8931139°N 87.7998222°W / 41.8931139; -87.7998222
Built1909 [1]
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright (remodel)
Architectural style Prairie style
Part of Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District (ID73000699 [2] )
Added to NRHPDecember 4, 1973

The William H. Copeland House is a home located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. In 1909 the home underwent a remodeling designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The original Italianate home was built in the 1870s. Dr. William H. Copeland commissioned Wright for the remodel and Wright's original vision of the project proposed a three-story Prairie house. That version was rejected and the result was the more subdued, less severely Prairie, William H. Copeland House. On the exterior the most significant alteration by Wright was the addition of a low-pitched hip roof. The house has been listed as a contributing property to a U.S. Registered Historic District since 1973.

Contents

History

The William Copeland House was first constructed around 1873 for William H. Harman. The large, Italianate home represented a microcosm of the general character of homes in Oak Park before Wright began designing buildings. Homes of this style, "classically tinged" and "robust," dotted the landscape of small towns across the United States. [3] In 1909 the then-owner, Dr. William Copeland, a prominent surgeon with offices in Chicago and Cleveland, commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to remodel the home. [4] It was the second commission for Wright from Copeland; in 1908 the architect had designed a garage for Copeland at the residence. [3]

Architecture

The Copeland House was designed around 1873 by an unknown architect and cast in the Italianate style. [1] [3] [4] Wright's 1909 remodel work included exterior and interior alterations. A new tile roof was added above the decorative brick work; the roof was removed in the 1950s because of its maintenance expenses. [4] The work fused Wright's Prairie style with the traditional Italiante style through the building's exterior lines. The new low-pitched hip roof that Wright designed, along with the wrap-around porch and overhanging eaves are all elements found in the Copeland House which can be found on other Prairie style homes Wright designed. [3] The remodeling work also replaced the original doors with doors, frame, sidelights and a transom window all of Wright's own design. [4]

Wright's original plan called for the Copeland House to be remodeled into a three-story Prairie house but that plan was rejected. [3] The result was that the Wright-designed remodel was not as ambitious as it had been planned to be originally. Of the exterior work Wright designed, the new roof was the most substantial. [3] In addition to the expansive exterior work Wright remodeled the main rooms on the ground floor to adhere to his Prairie style. Also inside he designed the dining room sideboard, table and chairs. [4]

Significance

The Copeland House is an example of Wright's remodeling design work. It is listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District. [5] The historic district joined the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973. [2] The William Copeland House is one of three homes in Oak Park that Wright was commissioned to remodel. The other two are the 1906 Peter A. Beachy House and the Hills-DeCaro House, also on Forest Avenue. [6] Wright also added a large brick fireplace to the library. However, as evidenced by the sagging cantilevers at Fallingwater and the sagging second floor of the Heurtley House, Wright's use of available materials occasionally exceeded their structural capacity: the mantle of the fireplace is a large stone that cracked under the weight of the bricks, as did steps in the front stairway. The center wall of the coach house also sank due to inadequacy of the center foundation.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pettit Memorial Chapel</span> Historic building in Belvidere, Illinois

Pettit Memorial Chapel or simply, Pettit Chapel, is one of the few chapels designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Pettit Chapel is located in the Belvidere Cemetery in Belvidere, Illinois, United States, which is in Boone County. It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1978. The chapel is an early example of Frank Lloyd Wright's famed Prairie style. It is one of only two structures meant for a cemetery setting that Wright ever created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Lyman Silsbee</span> American architect (1848 - 1913)

Joseph Lyman Silsbee was a significant American architect during the 19th and early 20th centuries. He was well known for his facility of drawing and gift for designing buildings in a variety of styles. His most prominent works ran through Syracuse, Buffalo and Chicago. He was influential as mentor to a generation of architects, most notably architects of the Prairie School including the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Lloyd Wright–Prairie School of Architecture Historic District</span> Historic district in Illinois, United States

The Frank Lloyd Wright/Prairie School of Architecture Historic District is a residential neighborhood in the Cook County, Illinois village of Oak Park, United States. The Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District is both a federally designated historic district listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and a local historic district within the village of Oak Park. The districts have differing boundaries and contributing properties, over 20 of which were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, widely regarded as the greatest American architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heller House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Isidore H. Heller House is a house located at 5132 South Woodlawn Avenue in the Hyde Park community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The house was designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The design is credited as one of the turning points in Wright's shift to geometric, Prairie School architecture, which is defined by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands, and an integration with the landscape, which is meant to evoke native Prairie surroundings.

John Shellette Van Bergen was an American architect born in Oak Park, Illinois. Van Bergen started his architectural career as an apprentice draftsman in 1907. In 1909 he went to work for Frank Lloyd Wright at his studio in Oak Park. At Wright's studio he did working drawings for and supervised the Robie House and the Mrs. Thomas Gale House. Van Bergen designed prairie style homes in the Chicago area, mostly in the suburbs of Oak Park and River Forest. His home designs are recognized as excellent examples of Prairie style architecture and several are listed as local landmarks. A few of his homes are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Gale House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Laura Gale House, also known as the Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House, is a home in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The house was designed by master architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1909. It is located within the boundaries of the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District and has been listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places since March 5, 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Heurtley House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Arthur B. Heurtley House is located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The house was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and constructed in 1902. The Heurtley House is considered one of the earliest examples of a Frank Lloyd Wright house in full Prairie style. The house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places when it was designated a National Historic Landmark on February 16, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Gale House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Walter H. Gale House, located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and constructed in 1893. The house was commissioned by Walter H. Gale of a prominent Oak Park family and is the first home Wright designed after leaving the firm of Adler & Sullivan. The Gale House was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on August 17, 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter A. Beachy House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Peter A. Beachy House is a home in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois that was entirely remodeled by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1906. The house that stands today is almost entirely different from the site's original home, a Gothic cottage. The home is listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District, which was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward R. Hills House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Edward R. Hills House, also known as the Hills–DeCaro House, is a residence located at 313 Forest Avenue in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. It is most notable for a 1906 remodel by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in his signature Prairie style. The Hills–DeCaro House represents the melding of two distinct phases in Wright's career; it contains many elements of both the Prairie style and the designs with which Wright experimented throughout the 1890s. The house is listed as a contributing property to a federal historic district on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and is a local Oak Park Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan G. Moore House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Nathan G. Moore House, also known as the Moore-Dugal Residence, is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The house was built one block south of Wright's home and studio at 333 Forest Avenue in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. It was originally completed in 1895 in the Tudor Revival style at the request of client Nathan Moore. Wright obliged his client's wishes, but long after disliked the house for its adherence to historical styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George W. Smith House (Oak Park, Illinois)</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The George W. Smith House is a home in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1895. It was constructed in 1898 and occupied by a Marshall Field & Company salesman. The design elements were employed a decade later when Wright designed the Unity Temple in Oak Park. The house is listed as a contributing property to the Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District which joined the National Register of Historic Places in December 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eben Ezra Roberts</span> American architect

Eben Ezra Roberts (1866–1943) was an American architect known for his work in the early modern Prairie style, pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as other traditional residential styles. Roberts was born in Boston and attended architectural school at Tilton Seminary in New Hampshire. After moving to Chicago he eventually established a practice in the suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. In Oak Park alone, Roberts designed over 200 houses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert P. Parker House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Robert P. Parker House is a house located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The house was designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1892 and is an example of his early work. Real-estate agent Thomas H. Gale had it built and sold it to Robert P. Parker later that year. The house was designed by Wright independently while he was still employed by the firm Adler & Sullivan, run by engineer Dankmar Adler and architect, Louis Sullivan; taking outside commissions was something that Sullivan forbade. The Parker House is listed as a contributing property to a U.S. federally Registered Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas H. Gale House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Thomas H. Gale House, or simply Thomas Gale House, is a house located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The house was designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1892 and is an example of his early work. The house was designed by Wright independently while he was still employed in the architecture firm of Adler & Sullivan, run by engineer Dankmar Adler and architect, Louis Sullivan; taking outside commissions was something that Sullivan forbade. The house is significant because of what it shows about Wright's early development period. The Parker House is listed as contributing property to a U.S. federally Registered Historic District. The house was designated an Oak Park Landmark in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Furbeck House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The George W. Furbeck House is a house located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park. The house was designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1897 and constructed for Chicago electrical contractor George W. Furbeck and his new bride Sue Allin Harrington. The home's interior is much as it appeared when the house was completed but the exterior has seen some alteration. The house is an important example of Frank Lloyd Wright's transitional period of the late 1890s which culminated with the birth of the first fully mature early modern Prairie style house. The Furbeck House was listed as a contributing property to a U.S. federal Registered Historic District in 1973 and declared a local Oak Park Landmark in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar B. Balch House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Oscar B. Balch House is a home located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The Prairie style Balch House was designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1911. The home was the first house Wright designed after returning from a trip to Europe with a client's wife. The subsequent social exile cost the architect friends, clients, and his family. The house is one of the first Wright houses to employ a flat roof which gives the home a horizontal linearity. Historian Thomas O'Gorman noted that the home may provide a glimpse into the subconscious mind of Wright. The Balch house is listed as a contributing property to a U.S. federally Registered Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles E. Roberts Stable</span> United States historic place

The Charles E. Roberts Stable is a renovated former barn in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The building has a long history of remodeling work including an 1896 transformation by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The stable remodel was commissioned by Charles E. Roberts, a patron of Wright's work, the same year Wright worked on an interior remodel of Roberts' House. The building was eventually converted into a residence by Charles E. White, Jr., a Wright-associated architect, sources vary as to when this occurred but the house was moved from its original location to its present site in 1929. The home is cast in the Tudor Revival style but still displays the architectural thumbprint of Wright's later work. The building is listed as a contributing property to a federally designated U.S. Registered Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis J. Woolley House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Francis J. Woolley House is located in Oak Park, Illinois, United States, a Chicago suburb. The house was designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1893. The Queen Anne style home is reflective of Wright's early designs for lower-cost, more affordable housing. The Woolley House is similar to the trio of homes in Oak Park that are widely known as the "bootleg houses." The design is heavily influenced by Wright's first teacher, Joseph Silsbee, and the Arts and Crafts movement. The house is listed as a contributing property to a local and federal historic district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrison P. Young House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Harrison P. Young House is a home in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The 1870s era building was remodeled extensively by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, early in his career, in 1895. The home's remodeling incorporated elements that would later be found in Wright's pioneering, early modern Prairie style. Some of the remodel work included setting the home back an additional 16 ft from the street and an overhanging porch over the driveway. The House is similar in some ways to Wright's other early work and was influenced by his first teacher, Joseph Silsbee. The house is considered a contributing property to both a local and federally Registered Historic District.

References

  1. 1 2 Frank Lloyd Wright Architectural Guide Map, Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.
  2. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 O'Gorman, Thomas J. Frank Lloyd Wright's Chicago, Thunder Bay Press, San Diego: 2004, pp. 270-71, ( ISBN   1592231276).
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "William H. Copeland House," Oak Park Tourist, excerpted from: Sprague, Paul E. Guide to Frank Lloyd Wright & Prarire School Architecture in Oak Park Oak Park Bicentennial Commission of the American Revolution and Oak Park Landmarks Commission, Village of Oak Park: 1986, ( ISBN   0961691506). Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  5. "Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District," Property Information Report, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  6. "Hills-DeCaro House," (PDF), Oak Park Landmark Nomination Form, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved 11 June 2007.