Edward R. Hills House
Encyclopedia
Wright's design for the repositioned home – now in its third revision – utilized the Gray home foundation and framing for several walls and floors but otherwise entirely engulfed the original building. The existing stair hall was retained and extended to serve as the central circulation spine for the first and second levels. As a result of turning the structure during the move, the hall was made to traverse the lot from side to side, or from north to south. This unusual orientation inconspicuously placed the front door halfway down the north elevation instead of directly facing the street. The first floor hall was divided into three sections; a small vestibule
inside the entrance was followed by a narrow passageway lined by French doors on one side which terminated in an open space with broad doorways into each of the home’s principle rooms. Of these, the living room, library and kitchen were carved out of the original house, while a rear addition housed a dining room and pantry
. Two staircases – one a wide, open, public stair in the central hall, and the other a narrow, winding, and closed service stair – connected the first and second floors. The second floor contained five bedrooms around a single hall bathroom. A finished third story, accessed by the tight service stair, contained two servant
bedrooms and a second bathroom. All in all, the remodeling and expansions brought the house to a gross floor area
of approximately 1800 square feet (170 m2) on the first floor 1600 square feet (150 m2) on the second.
The interior rooms were finished in keeping with the Prairie style. Walls and ceiling were plaster
ed with ample oak
trim throughout on both surfaces. Floors in most rooms were also of oak. Large Roman brick
fireplaces dominate the living room and master bedroom. As with most of his houses, Frank Lloyd Wright designed several built-in furnishings, including oak radiator
covers, bookshelves in the library and living room, and a china cabinet with glass doors in the dining room.
On the exterior, Frank Lloyd Wright traded the dual-pitched, cross-gable
roof in the Stick style for a more distinctive dual-pitched hip roof
with deep eaves
and thick wood fascia boards
. The form and style of the roof exemplified Wright’s Japanese
influence, and has been likened to the design of Asian pagodas. The unique design was furthered by a tierred surface of cedar shingles
created by furring strips under every fifth row. Three dormers – one each on the east, south, and west façades – were likewise faced in shingles and were topped by the same flared, double-pitched roofs.
Existing and new walls, alike, were covered in uniform, lightly textured, pale stucco
from the ground up to – and including – the eave soffit
. A continuous canted
ledge of painted redwood stretched around the house below the second floor windows. Additional redwood trim was employed in rectangles to wrap around each corner on the second floor. All windows and doors in the home were fashioned in leaded glass
with nickel
caming
. The unvarying glass pattern was a variation of the typical Prairie muntin
bar design and consisted of a frame of narrow rectangular and trapezoidal panes surrounding a single large glass pane. Wright arranged most windows into one of two ensembles – one for each floor – in order to unify his design. In five locations on the first floor, double casement windows or full length French doors were flanked by two more isolated, narrow casements. All openings on the second floor were composed of paired casements topped by a single transom light
. A cantilever
ed, rectangular bay
, which formed a focal point on the second level of the street (east) elevation, contained a band of four such three-piece windows and was subtly bookended by two deeply inset casements.
The remodel brought ample exterior space to the house. Matching porches extended into the front and rear yard on either side of the north-facing, vertical entry and stair tower. Both porches were terminated in a broad stair between elongated planting piers. Aside from additional planters below the living room window and outside the stairway window, the yard was simply landscaped. A low concrete
wall topped by a similarly short wrought iron
fence was incorporated sometime after construction to enclose the yard along the south and east lot lines. This fence continued along the eastern edge of Nathan Moore’s property to the corner of Forest Avenue and Superior Street. The sidewalk at the front entrance was demarcated by Roman brick piers topped by glass-globed light fixtures. The yard additionally featured an original ticket booth from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition which Moore had purchased and relocated to the site.
Mary Hills was not particularly fond of her wedding gift. First, Wright was not commissioned to design furniture for the Hills; according to their eldest of five sons, John Moore Hills, they felt that “it was their house and they would furnish it for their own taste and comfort.” Sibling Nathan Grier further related that his mother found the entire house too "stern and austere" and she immediately hired neighborhood architect Henry Fiddelke to make alterations. Over the next eight years, the rear kitchen wing was extended with the addition of a pantry
and breakfast room (c. 1912), the rear porch was enclosed with glass (c. 1917), a second bathroom was inserted above the kitchen, and a small second floor balcony
was enlarged and covered to form a sleeping porch
. The space under the rear porch was excavated to form a children’s playroom and billiards room. Most notably, the second floor front (east) bay window
– which was initially split between two bedrooms – was reconstructed as two separate bay windows in 1915. In later alterations, the cedar shingle roof was replaced by asphalt shingle
s which failed to replicate the distinctive tiered pattern. Also, the front porch was expanded and piers on either side of the front steps were replaced by simple iron handrails. (see floor plans at right for details on the alterations)
When Nathan Moore had split his property in 1910, he deeded the southern 60 feet (18.3 m) of his original 250 feet (76.2 m) of Forest Avenue frontage to his daughter. Since the two yards remained contiguous, the fact that the dividing lot line was tight up against the side of the Hills House posed no problem. However in 1946, Nathan Moore died and his estate
passed to the Hills family. Mary and Edward sold the Moore house the next year, but retained an additional 40 feet (12.2 m) of land in order to provide space for a side yard and garden north of their home. Following her husband’s death in 1953, Mary Hills continued to reside in the house until she sold it and moved to an apartment in 1965.
devastated much of the structure. Cleaning fluids and paint fumes ignited by an electric sander
on the second floor were determined to be the cause of the blaze. Irene DeCaro was injured in the fire when she returned to the burning home to search for her pet cat. The entire second and third floors were completely destroyed and the first floor was badly damaged. Despite the extensive destruction, several of the first floor built-in furnishings and both fireplaces survived the fire.
Following a neighborhood fundraiser in May 1976, Mr. and Mrs. DeCaro resumed their extensive reconstruction. The restoration returned the front elevation to its 1906 design yet retained most alterations made by the Hills towards the rear, including the enclosed porches and enlarged kitchen wing. In cases where blueprints differed from historic photographs, the owners chose to follow Wright's plans. For instance, the main chimney was known to have always been exposed brick, yet was stuccoed in the reconstruction per Wright's original plans. Inside, some changes were made to accommodate the DeCaro's modern lifestyle. On the main level, an updated kitchen replaced the breakfast room and pantry. On the second floor, several walls were moved to widen the hallway and to create a master suite in place of two front bedrooms (see post-reconstruction plans at right). On the third floor tight servants quarters were exchanged for a single bedroom suite. For their part in the restoration, the Oak Park Landmarks Commission voted in 1977 to rename the completed structure as the Hills-DeCaro House.
level, the floors were lowered to increase ceiling height and stone foundation walls from the 1884 house were re-exposed. Outside, previous owners had installed a wood band below the first floor to match the ledge on the second floor, had capped some of the exterior planters, and had again replaced the cedar roof with asphalt shingles. All of these historically inaccurate modifications were reversed. Additionally, trim and stucco were sampled to reveal the original exterior colors. The determined paint scheme consisted of off-white stucco and wood trim in dark “creosote
” brown.
On January 7, 2002, the Hills-DeCaro House was declared a landmark by the Village of Oak Park. The residence had already been listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District
.
In early 2009, the Smylies embarked on their most significant exterior project. Records at Taliesin
showed plans for a long pergola
and pavilion which would have spanned between the Nathan G. Moore House conservatory
and the northwest corner of the Hills-DeCaro House backyard. Further research yielded a period photograph which proved the structure’s existence. Subsequent digging uncovered the limestone
foundation for the pavilion. The Smylies and Von Dreel-Freerksen set about recreating the pavilion and the first section of the pergola (the portion which falls within the property lines of the Hills DeCaro House). Roman brick
s for the new construction were matched to remnants found near the buried foundations. As part of the project, a large modern garage built in 1978 was replaced by a smaller, more historically sympathetic garage.
, two of Wright’s first works. Additionally, the house has a finished basement and attic, both of which Wright would avoid whenever possible following the development of his Prairie house.
Elements which are purely Prairie in style include the extensive use of stucco contrasted with dark wood banding. Several later works, such as the Stephen M. B. Hunt House and Robert W. Evans House share similar detail work and employ the same rectangular frames at each corner. The horizontal emphasis created by this banding, as well as the deep overhangs and window groupings is also a hallmark of the Prairie style. The arrangement of rooms in the first floor of the Hills House and extended porches are evocative of the pinwheel shape found in the Ward W. Willits House
, Darwin D. Martin House
and other works. As Wright broke away from the conventional, rectangular floor plans with the development of his Prairie homes, the hidden entrance also became more common and can be found in nearly every one of his Prairie houses.
One component which epitomizes the transitional nature of the Hills-DeCaro House is the dual-pitched, Japanese inspired roof which recalls similar roof designs for the Harry C. Goodrich House and George W. Smith House, both completed ten years prior. However, the cantilevered eaves of the Hills-Decaro house are even deeper – stretching 5.5 feet (1.67 m) on the upper story – and the fascia is even thicker than those of its early predecessors. When paired with the unique, stepped shingle pattern, these adjustments further accentuate the Prairie style horizontality of the house.
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
inside the entrance was followed by a narrow passageway lined by French doors on one side which terminated in an open space with broad doorways into each of the home’s principle rooms. Of these, the living room, library and kitchen were carved out of the original house, while a rear addition housed a dining room and pantry
Pantry
A pantry is a room where food, provisions or dishes are stored and served in an ancillary capacity to the kitchen. The derivation of the word is from the same source as the Old French term paneterie; that is from pain, the French form of the Latin panis for bread.In a late medieval hall, there were...
. Two staircases – one a wide, open, public stair in the central hall, and the other a narrow, winding, and closed service stair – connected the first and second floors. The second floor contained five bedrooms around a single hall bathroom. A finished third story, accessed by the tight service stair, contained two servant
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
bedrooms and a second bathroom. All in all, the remodeling and expansions brought the house to a gross floor area
Gross floor area
Gross Floor Area is a real estate term referring to the total floor area inside the building envelope, including the external walls, and excluding the roof....
of approximately 1800 square feet (170 m2) on the first floor 1600 square feet (150 m2) on the second.
The interior rooms were finished in keeping with the Prairie style. Walls and ceiling were plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
ed with ample oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trim throughout on both surfaces. Floors in most rooms were also of oak. Large Roman brick
Roman brick
Roman brick can refer either to a type of brick originating in Ancient Rome and spread by the Romans to the lands they conquered; or to a modern type of brick, inspired by the ancient prototypes...
fireplaces dominate the living room and master bedroom. As with most of his houses, Frank Lloyd Wright designed several built-in furnishings, including oak radiator
Radiator (heating)
Radiators and convectors are heat exchangers designed to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of space heating. The heating radiator was invented by Franz San Galli, a Prussian-born Russian businessman living in St. Petersburg, between 1855–1857.- Radiation vs...
covers, bookshelves in the library and living room, and a china cabinet with glass doors in the dining room.
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
roof in the Stick style for a more distinctive dual-pitched hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
with deep eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
and thick wood fascia boards
Fascia (architecture)
Fascia is a term used in architecture to refer to a frieze or band running horizontally and situated vertically under the roof edge or which forms the outer surface of a cornice and is visible to an outside observer...
. The form and style of the roof exemplified Wright’s Japanese
Japanese architecture
' originated in prehistoric times with simple pit-houses and stores that were adapted to a hunter-gatherer population. Influence from Han Dynasty China via Korea saw the introduction of more complex grain stores and ceremonial burial chambers....
influence, and has been likened to the design of Asian pagodas. The unique design was furthered by a tierred surface of cedar shingles
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
created by furring strips under every fifth row. Three dormers – one each on the east, south, and west façades – were likewise faced in shingles and were topped by the same flared, double-pitched roofs.
Existing and new walls, alike, were covered in uniform, lightly textured, pale stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
from the ground up to – and including – the eave soffit
Soffit
Soffit , in architecture, describes the underside of any construction element...
. A continuous canted
Cant (architecture)
Cant is the architectural term describing part, or segment, of a facade which is at an angle to another part of the same facade. The angle breaking the facade is less than a right angle thus enabling a canted facade to be viewed as, and remain, one composition.Canted facades are a typical of, but...
ledge of painted redwood stretched around the house below the second floor windows. Additional redwood trim was employed in rectangles to wrap around each corner on the second floor. All windows and doors in the home were fashioned in leaded glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
with nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
caming
Came
A came is a divider bar used between small pieces of glass to make a larger glazing panel, sometimes referred to as leaded glass. This process is then referred to as "leading". Cames are mostly made of soft metals such as lead, zinc, copper or brass. They generally have an H-shaped cross section,...
. The unvarying glass pattern was a variation of the typical Prairie muntin
Muntin
Muntin or Muntin bar is a strip of wood or metal separating and holding panes of glass in a window. Muntins are also called "glazing bars", "muntin bars", or "sash bars". Muntins can be found in doors, windows and furniture, typically in western styles of architecture...
bar design and consisted of a frame of narrow rectangular and trapezoidal panes surrounding a single large glass pane. Wright arranged most windows into one of two ensembles – one for each floor – in order to unify his design. In five locations on the first floor, double casement windows or full length French doors were flanked by two more isolated, narrow casements. All openings on the second floor were composed of paired casements topped by a single transom light
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
. A cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
ed, rectangular bay
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
, which formed a focal point on the second level of the street (east) elevation, contained a band of four such three-piece windows and was subtly bookended by two deeply inset casements.
The remodel brought ample exterior space to the house. Matching porches extended into the front and rear yard on either side of the north-facing, vertical entry and stair tower. Both porches were terminated in a broad stair between elongated planting piers. Aside from additional planters below the living room window and outside the stairway window, the yard was simply landscaped. A low concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
wall topped by a similarly short wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
fence was incorporated sometime after construction to enclose the yard along the south and east lot lines. This fence continued along the eastern edge of Nathan Moore’s property to the corner of Forest Avenue and Superior Street. The sidewalk at the front entrance was demarcated by Roman brick piers topped by glass-globed light fixtures. The yard additionally featured an original ticket booth from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition which Moore had purchased and relocated to the site.
Hills ownership and alterations (1907–1965)
Although construction was completed sometime in late 1906 or early 1907, Nathan Moore’s daughter did not move in right away. In fact, Mary was not wed to lawyer Edward Rowland Hills until January 1908. Instead, two successive families rented the house from Moore. The Hills resided at 335 Superior Street, a house located north of the Moore House until sometime in 1911 or 1912.Mary Hills was not particularly fond of her wedding gift. First, Wright was not commissioned to design furniture for the Hills; according to their eldest of five sons, John Moore Hills, they felt that “it was their house and they would furnish it for their own taste and comfort.” Sibling Nathan Grier further related that his mother found the entire house too "stern and austere" and she immediately hired neighborhood architect Henry Fiddelke to make alterations. Over the next eight years, the rear kitchen wing was extended with the addition of a pantry
Pantry
A pantry is a room where food, provisions or dishes are stored and served in an ancillary capacity to the kitchen. The derivation of the word is from the same source as the Old French term paneterie; that is from pain, the French form of the Latin panis for bread.In a late medieval hall, there were...
and breakfast room (c. 1912), the rear porch was enclosed with glass (c. 1917), a second bathroom was inserted above the kitchen, and a small second floor balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
was enlarged and covered to form a sleeping porch
Sleeping porch
A sleeping porch is a deck or balcony that is screened and furnished for sleeping in the warmer months. Sleeping porches can be on ground level or on a higher storey and in either the front or back of a home...
. The space under the rear porch was excavated to form a children’s playroom and billiards room. Most notably, the second floor front (east) bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
– which was initially split between two bedrooms – was reconstructed as two separate bay windows in 1915. In later alterations, the cedar shingle roof was replaced by asphalt shingle
Asphalt shingle
An asphalt shingle is a type of roof shingle. They are one of the most widely used roofing covers because they are relatively inexpensive and fairly simple to install.-Types:...
s which failed to replicate the distinctive tiered pattern. Also, the front porch was expanded and piers on either side of the front steps were replaced by simple iron handrails. (see floor plans at right for details on the alterations)
When Nathan Moore had split his property in 1910, he deeded the southern 60 feet (18.3 m) of his original 250 feet (76.2 m) of Forest Avenue frontage to his daughter. Since the two yards remained contiguous, the fact that the dividing lot line was tight up against the side of the Hills House posed no problem. However in 1946, Nathan Moore died and his estate
Estate (law)
An estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
passed to the Hills family. Mary and Edward sold the Moore house the next year, but retained an additional 40 feet (12.2 m) of land in order to provide space for a side yard and garden north of their home. Following her husband’s death in 1953, Mary Hills continued to reside in the house until she sold it and moved to an apartment in 1965.
Fire and reconstruction (1975–1977)
In 1975, Tom and Irene DeCaro purchased the house and began a diligent restoration with the aid of architect John Tilton. However, work was abruptly halted in 1976 when a fireStructure fire
A structure fire is a fire involving the structural components of various residential buildings ranging from single-family detached homes and townhouses to apartments and tower blocks, or various commercial buildings ranging from offices to shopping malls...
devastated much of the structure. Cleaning fluids and paint fumes ignited by an electric sander
Sander
A sander is a power tool used to smooth wood and automotive or wood finishes by abrasion with sandpaper. Sanders have a means to attach the sandpaper and a mechanism to move it rapidly contained within a housing with means to hand-hold it or fix it to a workbench. Woodworking sanders are usually...
on the second floor were determined to be the cause of the blaze. Irene DeCaro was injured in the fire when she returned to the burning home to search for her pet cat. The entire second and third floors were completely destroyed and the first floor was badly damaged. Despite the extensive destruction, several of the first floor built-in furnishings and both fireplaces survived the fire.
Following a neighborhood fundraiser in May 1976, Mr. and Mrs. DeCaro resumed their extensive reconstruction. The restoration returned the front elevation to its 1906 design yet retained most alterations made by the Hills towards the rear, including the enclosed porches and enlarged kitchen wing. In cases where blueprints differed from historic photographs, the owners chose to follow Wright's plans. For instance, the main chimney was known to have always been exposed brick, yet was stuccoed in the reconstruction per Wright's original plans. Inside, some changes were made to accommodate the DeCaro's modern lifestyle. On the main level, an updated kitchen replaced the breakfast room and pantry. On the second floor, several walls were moved to widen the hallway and to create a master suite in place of two front bedrooms (see post-reconstruction plans at right). On the third floor tight servants quarters were exchanged for a single bedroom suite. For their part in the restoration, the Oak Park Landmarks Commission voted in 1977 to rename the completed structure as the Hills-DeCaro House.
Recent years (1977 to present)
Following the DeCaros, the house passed through three owners before it was purchased by Mark and Sallie Smylie in 2001. The Smylies hired Von Dreele-Freerksen Construction for restoration and remodeling work of the interior and exterior. On the interior, the modern kitchen and main floor bath were remodeled to match the style of the other ground floor rooms. In the basementBasement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
level, the floors were lowered to increase ceiling height and stone foundation walls from the 1884 house were re-exposed. Outside, previous owners had installed a wood band below the first floor to match the ledge on the second floor, had capped some of the exterior planters, and had again replaced the cedar roof with asphalt shingles. All of these historically inaccurate modifications were reversed. Additionally, trim and stucco were sampled to reveal the original exterior colors. The determined paint scheme consisted of off-white stucco and wood trim in dark “creosote
Creosote
Creosote is the portion of chemical products obtained by the distillation of a tar that remains heavier than water, notably useful for its anti-septic and preservative properties...
” brown.
On January 7, 2002, the Hills-DeCaro House was declared a landmark by the Village of Oak Park. The residence had already been listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District
Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District
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...
.
In early 2009, the Smylies embarked on their most significant exterior project. Records at Taliesin
Taliesin
Taliesin was an early British poet of the post-Roman period whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the Book of Taliesin...
showed plans for a long pergola
Pergola
A pergola, arbor or arbour is a garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained...
and pavilion which would have spanned between the Nathan G. Moore House conservatory
Conservatory (greenhouse)
A conservatory is a room having glass roof and walls, typically attached to a house on only one side, used as a greenhouse or a sunroom...
and the northwest corner of the Hills-DeCaro House backyard. Further research yielded a period photograph which proved the structure’s existence. Subsequent digging uncovered the limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
foundation for the pavilion. The Smylies and Von Dreel-Freerksen set about recreating the pavilion and the first section of the pergola (the portion which falls within the property lines of the Hills DeCaro House). Roman brick
Roman brick
Roman brick can refer either to a type of brick originating in Ancient Rome and spread by the Romans to the lands they conquered; or to a modern type of brick, inspired by the ancient prototypes...
s for the new construction were matched to remnants found near the buried foundations. As part of the project, a large modern garage built in 1978 was replaced by a smaller, more historically sympathetic garage.
Comparison to other Wright works
The Hills-DeCaro House is most significant for its architecture which represents the transition and integration of Wright's early experimental style and his mature Prairie style. Among features which reference his earlier designs are the windows; instead of the elaborate, geometric art-glass patterns which Wright first introduced in the Frank W. Thomas House, Wright employs simpler leaded frames with clear glass. The design is most similar to that of the Robert G. Emmond House or the wood muntin configuration of the Thomas H. Gale HouseThomas H. Gale House
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...
, two of Wright’s first works. Additionally, the house has a finished basement and attic, both of which Wright would avoid whenever possible following the development of his Prairie house.
Elements which are purely Prairie in style include the extensive use of stucco contrasted with dark wood banding. Several later works, such as the Stephen M. B. Hunt House and Robert W. Evans House share similar detail work and employ the same rectangular frames at each corner. The horizontal emphasis created by this banding, as well as the deep overhangs and window groupings is also a hallmark of the Prairie style. The arrangement of rooms in the first floor of the Hills House and extended porches are evocative of the pinwheel shape found in the Ward W. Willits House
Willits House
The Ward W. Willits House is a building designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Designed in 1901, the Willits house is considered the first of the great Prairie houses. Built in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois, the house presents a symmetrical facade to the street. The plan is a...
, Darwin D. Martin House
Darwin D. Martin House
The Darwin D. Martin House Complex, also known as the Darwin Martin House State Historic Site, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built between 1903 and 1905...
and other works. As Wright broke away from the conventional, rectangular floor plans with the development of his Prairie homes, the hidden entrance also became more common and can be found in nearly every one of his Prairie houses.
One component which epitomizes the transitional nature of the Hills-DeCaro House is the dual-pitched, Japanese inspired roof which recalls similar roof designs for the Harry C. Goodrich House and George W. Smith House, both completed ten years prior. However, the cantilevered eaves of the Hills-Decaro house are even deeper – stretching 5.5 feet (1.67 m) on the upper story – and the fascia is even thicker than those of its early predecessors. When paired with the unique, stepped shingle pattern, these adjustments further accentuate the Prairie style horizontality of the house.
Other Wright house remodels in Oak Park
- 1894 Dr. H. W. Bassett House (demolished 1922)
- 1895 Harrison R. Young House
- 1896 Charles E. Roberts House
- 1896 Charles E. Roberts StableCharles E. Roberts StableThe 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...
- 1906 Peter A. Beachy HousePeter A. Beachy HouseThe 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...
- 1909 William H. Copeland HouseWilliam H. Copeland HouseThe 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...
- 1922 Nathan G. Moore Residence (original house had also been designed by Wright in 1895)
External links
- Historic photo of the Gray house prior to the 1906 Renovation (on dgunning.org – Virtual Tour of Forest Avenue); The wall at left with the first floor bay window forms the front (east) façade of the house today.