Peter A. Beachy House
Encyclopedia
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
.
, was almost entirely replaced when banker Peter A. Beachy commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to "remodel" the home. The house is set at right angle
s to the street to utilize part of the cottage's original foundation and take full advantage of a southern exposure. Wright built this house after returning from a trip to Japan, and the exterior has several Japan-inspired elements.
s and sits on the largest residential lot in Oak Park. Much of the furniture in the house was also Wright designed but the windows contained only wooden muntin
s; no leaded
or colored glass
. However, Wright designed leaded-glass light fixtures which are used throughout the house.
. The historic district
joined the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The Peter A. Beachy House is one of three homes in Oak Park that Wright was commissioned to "remodel." The other two are the 1906 Hills-DeCaro House, which was under renovation when the Hills House was built, and the William H. Copeland House
, also on Forest Avenue.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
suburb of Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
that was entirely remodeled by architect Frank Lloyd Wright
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...
in 1906. The house that stands today is almost entirely different from the site's original home, a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
cottage. The home is listed as a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
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...
, which was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The original home, a Gothic cottageCottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
, was almost entirely replaced when banker Peter A. Beachy commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to "remodel" the home. The house is set at right angle
Right angle
In geometry and trigonometry, a right angle is an angle that bisects the angle formed by two halves of a straight line. More precisely, if a ray is placed so that its endpoint is on a line and the adjacent angles are equal, then they are right angles...
s to the street to utilize part of the cottage's original foundation and take full advantage of a southern exposure. Wright built this house after returning from a trip to Japan, and the exterior has several Japan-inspired elements.
Architecture
Though the Beachy House incorporates an earlier structure, the original building is completely obliterated on the interior. The only points that the original house, known as the Fargo House, still exist are found in the basement of the Beachy House. The house has seven gableGable
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...
s and sits on the largest residential lot in Oak Park. Much of the furniture in the house was also Wright designed but the windows contained only wooden 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...
s; no leaded
Leaded glass
Leaded glass may refer to:*Lead glass, potassium silicate glass which has been impregnated with a small amount of lead oxide in its fabrication...
or colored 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...
. However, Wright designed leaded-glass light fixtures which are used throughout the house.
Significance
The Peter A. Beachy House is an example of Wright's prairie design work. It is listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic DistrictFrank 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...
. The historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
joined the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The Peter A. Beachy House is one of three homes in Oak Park that Wright was commissioned to "remodel." The other two are the 1906 Hills-DeCaro House, which was under renovation when the Hills House was built, and the William H. Copeland House
William H. Copeland House
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...
, also on Forest Avenue.