Peter A. Beachy House

Infobox nrhp
name = Peter A. Beachy House
nrhp_type = cp

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caption =
location = Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois, USA
nearest_city =
lat_degrees = 41
lat_minutes = 53
lat_seconds = 29
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 87
long_minutes = 47
long_seconds = 59
long_direction = W
area =
built = 1906Frank Lloyd Wright Architectural Guide Map, "Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust".]
architect =Frank Lloyd Wright
architecture = Prairie style
added = December 4, 1973
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
refnum = 7300069
mpsub =
governing_body = Private owner

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.

History

The original home, a Gothic cottage, was almost entirely replaced when banker Peter A. Beachy commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to "remodel" the home. The house is set at right angles to the street to utilize part of the cottage's original foundation." [http://www.oprf.com/flw/Beachy.html Peter A. Beachy 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 31 May 2007.] There is a possibility that the home was not entirely designed by Wright. In fact, it may have mostly been designed by Walter Burley Griffin as part of a deal that allowed Wright to borrow money to travel to Japan and Griffin to design the house. Indeed, most of the design work took place while the Wright's were in Japan.Gill, Brendan. " [http://books.google.com/books?id=H1w2YH6DG1IC&pg=PA187&ots=gzz_glf2I2&dq=%22Beachy+House%22+Frank+Lloyd+Wright&ie=ISO-8859-1&sig=N1spIDjw2hHgVuq2gq4QnNNrpTM#PPA186,M1 Many Masks: A Life of Frank Lloyd Wright] ", (Google Books), Da Capo Press: 1998, p.187, (ISBN 0306808722). Retrieved 1 June 2007.]

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 gables 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 muntins; no leaded or colored glass.Heinz, Thomas A. The Vision of Frank Lloyd Wright, Chartwell Books, Inc., Edison, New Jersey: 2006, pp. 117-118, (ISBN 0785821457).]

ignificance

The Peter A. Beachy 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." [http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/hargis Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District] ," Property Information Report, HAARGIS Database, "Illinois Historic Preservation Agency". Retrieved 3 June 2007.] The historic district joined the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973. [http://www.nr.nps.gov/ National Register Information System] , National Register of Historic Places, "National Park Service". Retrieved 3 June 2007.] 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." [http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/hargis/PDFs/209223.pdf Hills-DeCaro House] ," (PDF), Oak Park Landmark Nomination Form, HAARGIS Database, "Illinois Historic Preservation Agency". Retrieved 3 June 2007.]

Notes