The Oscar B. Balch House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1911 has entered the market this week, and can be yours for $1.25 million. The house is located in Oak Park, the city where Wright cut his teeth and ultimately completed 25 projects. The five-bedroom home has many of Wright's Prairie characteristics like art glass windows, flat eaves, and a large brick fireplace that centers the main living room space, but this one has an interesting story.
In 1909, Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress Martha Borthwick famously left their families and fled to Europe. The affair of course meant that Wright's practice went on a temporary hiatus. However, the pair returned to the United States two years later and the Oscar B. Balch House became Wright's first commission upon returning back to his practice. To help Borthwick stay out of the media's lens, Wright designed and built his Taliesin estate in Wisconsin as the couple's retreat away from the Chicago area.
According to Crain's, the Balch House received a major updating in the last several years. The home's owners tell Crain's that the updates were meant to make the home livable and meet the demands of 21st century families. However, its floor plan and aesthetic are still unmistakably Wright.
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