Marshall Erdman Prefab Houses
Encyclopedia
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
was interested in mass production of housing. In 1954, he discovered that Marshall Erdman
Marshall Erdman
Marshall Erdman was a Lithuanian-American builder and colleague of Frank Lloyd Wright.-Early life:Erdman was born Mausas Erdmanas on September 29, 1922, in Tverai, Lithuania...
, who contracted the First Unitarian Society of Madison, was selling modest prefabricated homes. Wright offered to design better prefabs, ones that he believed could be marketed for $15,000, which was half as much as Marshall Erdman and Associates, Inc., (ME&A) were charging for their own version.
Wright didn't do much on the project until late 1955, but by spring of 1956 he had final plans for three Usonian-type homes to be
built exclusively by ME&A. The December 1956 issue of HOUSE & HOME Magazine featured the Wright designed Marshall Erdman Prefab Houses and included Marshall in the cover story. No examples of Prefab #3 were ever built.
The prefab package Erdman offered included all the major structural components, interior and
exterior walls, floors, windows and doors, as well as cabinets and woodwork. In addition to a lot, the buyer had to provide the foundation, the plumbing fixtures, heating units, electric wiring, and drywall, plus the paint.
Before the buyer could purchase the house, he or she had to submit a topographic map and photos of the lot to Wright, who would then determine where the home should sit on the lot. Wright also intended to inspect each home after completion, and to apply his famous glazed red signature brick to the home if it had been completed as planned.
Prefab #1
His design was for a single story, L-shaped home with a pitched-roof bedroom wing joining aflat-roofed living-dining-kitchen area centered on a large masonry fireplace. A carport with one end of its roof resting on a detached storage shed completed the design. Eventually, Wright produced variations, including a fourth bedroom and options for a full or partial basement. The versions ranged in size from 1860 to 2400 sq ft (172.8 to 223 m2).
To limit costs, Wright used standard Andersen windows and Pella
Pella (company)
Pella Corporation is a privately held window and door manufacturing company with manufacturing operations across the United States, whose products for residential and commercial construction are sold across North America and in other select countries. The company was founded in 1925...
doors, and designed the prefab to be built using standard sheets of plywood, Masonite
Masonite
Masonite is a type of hardboard invented by William H. Mason.-History:Masonite was invented in 1924 in Laurel, Mississippi, by William H. Mason. Mass production started in 1929. In the 1930s and 1940s Masonite was used for many applications including doors, roofing, walls, desktops, and canoes...
and drywall. The exterior was to be painted Masonite with horizontal redwood battens attached, though the house could also be built of stone or concrete block, or partially faced with stone.
Prefab #1 Houses:
- Eugene Van Tamelen House – Madison, WisconsinMadison, WisconsinMadison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
(1956) - Arnold Jackson House "Skyview" – moved from Madison to Beaver Dam, WisconsinBeaver Dam, WisconsinBeaver Dam is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The population was 16,243 at the 2010 census, making it the second largest city in Dodge County, and the largest city fully located within the county. It is the principal city of the...
in 1985 (built 1957) - Donald C. Duncan House – moved from Lisle, IllinoisLisle, IllinoisLisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,930 at the 2011 census, and estimated to be 23,135 as of 2008. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor...
to Polymath ParkPolymath ParkPolymath Park is a resort southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania.The site, near the village of Acme in Westmoreland County, is surrounded by private forest in the Allegheny Mountains and features three architectural landmarks: Frank Lloyd...
in 2002 (built 1957) – one of the few Wright homes that allow guests to spend the night. - Frank Iber House – Plover, WisconsinPlover, WisconsinPlover is a village in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States and is a suburb of Stevens Point. It is included in the Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 10,520 at the 2000 census.-History:...
(1957) - Al Borah / Carl Post House – Barrington Hills, IllinoisBarrington Hills, IllinoisBarrington Hills is a village located about northwest of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It straddles approximately over four counties, Cook, Kane, Lake, and McHenry. The population was 4,209 at the 2010 census...
(1957) - Catherine and William Cass House "The Crimson BeechThe Crimson BeechThe Crimson Beech is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright located in the Lighthouse Hill neighborhood of the New York City borough of Staten Island. Its original owners, Catherine and William Cass, had it manufactured by Marshall Erdman in kit form in Madison, Wisconsin and shipped to Staten...
" – Staten Island, New York (1959) - Socrates Zaferiou House – Blauvelt, New YorkBlauvelt, New YorkBlauvelt is a hamlet , formerly known as Greenbush and then Blauveltville, in the Town of Orangetown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Tappan; east of Nauraushaun and Pearl River; south of Central Nyack and west of Orangeburg...
(built 1961) - Joseph Mollica House – Bayside, WisconsinBayside, WisconsinBayside is a village in Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 4,518 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bayside is located at ....
(1958) - Dr. Edward & Laura Jane LaFond House – St. Joseph, MinnesotaSt. Joseph, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 4,681 people, 1,120 households, and 712 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,517.4 people per square mile . There were 1,147 housing units at an average density of 616.8 per square mile...
(1960)
Prefab #2
Prefab #2 is a square, 2 story home with a flat roof. The house has a large, square 2-story living room which is lit by a wall of windows. Also on the first floor are the dining area, kitchen, entry hall, utility room, and the master bedroom. A large concrete block fireplace separates the kitchen and living room. A stairway leads to a balcony and three second-story bedrooms.The house is constructed from concrete block with horizontal board and batten siding. A row of windows just below the soffit make the chunky flat roof appear to float above the house. A carport attached to one corner of the house completes the design.
Prefab #2 Houses:
- Walter Rudin HouseWalter Rudin HouseThe Walter Rudin House is a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Marshall Erdman prefab building located at 110 Marinette Trail, Madison, Wisconsin. Designed in 1957, it is the first of the only two examples of the second type of the Marshall Erdman Prefab Houses...
– Madison, WisconsinMadison, WisconsinMadison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
(1957) - James McBean ResidenceJames McBean ResidenceThe James McBean Residence is a house in Rochester, Minnesota designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. This Usonian house is an example of the second type of the Marshall Erdman Prefab Houses. This house and the Walter Rudin House have the same floor plan and vary only in minor details such as paint color...
– Rochester, MinnesotaRochester, MinnesotaRochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
(1957)
Both houses have the same floor plan and vary only in minor details such as paint color and siting.
