It’s only 200 miles long, but Wisconsin’s Frank Lloyd Wright Trail covers more than just nine buildings designed by America’s most famous architect. The drive takes you on a journey of his life, beginning in 1911 when he left his Chicago home and studio (not to mention his wife and six kids) with his mistress and began anew amidst the rolling hills of southern Wisconsin. It’s the story of structures costing almost always more than the original bid, of a man who was often broke yet spent much of his earnings on Japanese art, of his mistress and her two children who were murdered by a disgruntled employee, of design concepts that upended the architectural status quo, and of a career that nosedived several times yet eventually earned his creations World Heritage status. Frankly, while there have been documentaries about Wright, I’m surprised there hasn’t been a movie.
Wisconsin’s Frank Lloyd Wright Trail
Wisconsin’s Frank Lloyd Wright Trail includes a church, a school, a warehouse, affordable housing, his largest prairie-style house, company headquarters for a global company, and his 800-acre estate. There’s enough variety that each structure is totally different from the others; some are the only existing examples of their type.
The drive through southern Wisconsin with its rolling hills, dairy farms, small towns and rivers and streams is a bonus.
Dear Readers: This blog is just a teaser. To read about the man, his legacy, and the buildings along the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail, read my article Frank Lloyd Wright in Wisconsin, published in Belt Magazine.
Sites along Wisconsin’s Frank Lloyd Wright Trail
These stops on the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail are listed in the order you’d reach them starting in Milwaukee and heading west.
Burnham Block in Milwaukee (1915-1916)
This block of homes in a Milwaukee suburb represents the earliest examples of Wright’s affordable homes, which the architect called the “American System-Built Homes.” Although he produced more than 950 drawings and sketches representing approximately 30 models, fewer than 20 houses were ever built. Two homes in the Burnham Block are open for tours.
SC Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower in Racine (1936~ 1950)
SC Johnson produces household items you’ve probably used, including glass cleaner, air freshener, Ziploc bags, insect repellent and polishers. And thus it might come as a surprise that Johnson’s company headquarters in Racine includes the most gorgeous office space you could ever hope to see; it’s the only remaining Wright-designed corporate headquarters still in use. The adjacent research tower is one of the tallest structures ever built on the cantilever principle. But like many Wright buildings that were beautiful to behold but not very practical, the office space leaked water and the research tower was so bright staff was issued sunglasses.
Wingspread in Racine (1939)
Third-generation Johnson leader Herbert Fisk Johnson Jr. commissioned Wright to design his family home, a magnificent 14,000-square-foot mansion that contains seven fireplaces and an amazing 500 windows. It is Wright’s largest Prairie-style home.
Monona Terrace in Madison (1997)
Frank Lloyd Wright drew up plans for a civic center in Madison in 1938, but it took almost 60 years for Monona Terrace to become reality. As you might imagine, the plan on lakefront property was not without controversy. Today it serves as a community and convention center, with a rooftop terrace, exhibits related to Frank Lloyd Wright, and a bike trail that passes right beside it on Lake Monona.
First Unitarian Society Meeting House in Madison (1951)
Frank Lloyd Wright was a third-generation Unitarian and a member of the church, so it seemed only natural that he would design the new Unitarian building. It turned out to be a massive undertaking for the 150 members of the church, who hauled dolomite themselves to save money yet still faced huge cost overruns. It’s one of the most unusual churches I’ve seen, and I’m especially impressed by the Japanese woodblock prints Wright donated when the project was done.
Taliesin in Spring Green
Wright’s home, studio and 800-acre property is the most important and rewarding thing to see along Wisconsin’s Frank Lloyd Wright Trail, not the least because it was always changing and therefore includes elements from almost every decade of his long career, from the 1890s to the 1950s. It’s also the only Wisconsin property that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. It’s filled with many objects from his personal Japanese collection.
Wyoming Valley School in Spring Green (1957)
There are so many windows that it must have been a joy to attend Wyoming Valley School–always something to look at besides the teacher. It’s the only public elementary school Wright designed; he even donated his design and the site’s two acres in honor of his mother, who once worked as a kindergarten teacher. It’ now serves as a cultural art center.
A.D. German Warehouse in Richland Center (1917)
This is the only warehouse designed by Wright. More interesting to me, however, is that although Wright designed it to pay off debts to Albert German, construction stopped in 1921 after costs soared from the original $30,000 quote to $125,000. What can you expect from a building that looks like a Mayan temple? Still, it’s an engineering marvel, located in the town where Wright was born.
To learn more about all these buildings, including what makes them unique and ahead of their times, read my article Frank Lloyd Wright in Wisconsin, published in Belt Magazine.
For more on Wisconsin, and silly to boot, see my blog on Milwaukee’s National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.
