/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55098683/booth_lead.0.jpeg)
At any given point, there are typically at least a couple of houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright on the market in the Chicago area, but at the moment, there’s half a dozen homes from the Prairie School innovator up for grabs. The houses currently available are from various periods in Wright’s career and range in overall condition. Want an early Wright house? Check out the Robert Parker House. Seeking a true Prairie Schooler? The F.B Henderson House is for sale.
The length of time that Wright houses spend on the market varies as much as his designs do, but it’s not uncommon to see a house from Frank Lloyd Wright spend a considerable amount of time on the market. So if you’re still saving up or just not exactly ready to take the plunge into living in one of Wright’s Prairie School masterpieces, you’ve got some time. Here’s a look at what’s currently available.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633019/booth_house.jpeg)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633025/booth_2.jpeg)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633027/booth_3.jpeg)
↑ Sherman Booth House
The priciest Frank Lloyd Wright house currently on the market in the Chicago area is the Sherman Booth House in suburban Glencoe. Built in 1916, the house—a strong example of Wright’s brand of Prairie School—was built for Frank Lloyd Wright’s attorney. And with five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, the Booth House is one of the larger Wright-designed homes currently on the market.
The house entered the market almost exactly one year ago seeking $1.9 million. At the time of listing, the house had not been on the market for nearly 50 years—Crain’s reported that the current owners purchased the house back in 1967 (when the house was only 50 years old). Last September, the house took its first and only price cut, lowering the ask by $200,000.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8526627/henderson_house_1.jpg)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8526631/henderson_house_2.jpg)
↑ F.B. Henderson House
The F.B. Henderson House in suburban Elmhurst returned to the market last month after a two-year break. Built in 1901, the house was designed and built as Wright’s brand of Prairie School was maturing. Filled with original architectural details, the house boasts 80 art glass windows, three brick fireplaces, numerous original built-ins, maple floors, and wood-encased radiators.
But like many Frank Lloyd Wright homes, this one hasn’t had the easiest go on the market—it’s been on and off the market for the last ten years. Despite it lengthy journey on the MLS, the house returned last month with a higher asking price. It’s currently available for $1.1 million. And interestingly enough, the F.B. Henderson House is also available to renters for $4,500 per month.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633263/laura_gale_1.jpg)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633269/laura_gale_2.jpg)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633271/laura_gale_3.jpg)
↑ Laura Gale House
If the Sherman Booth House or F.B. Henderson House aren’t your thing, there’s always the Laura Gale House in Oak Park. Designed and built in 1909, the house not only exemplifies Wright’s brand of Prairie style, but it’s actually an evolution that would ultimately lead Wright to design his iconic and world-famous Fallingwater in southwestern Pennsylvania.
The four-bedroom was recently featured in the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust’s annual Wright Plus Housewalk in Oak Park. And while architecture buffs were able to get a peek around the house last month, interested and able buyers are certainly able to get a look inside for themselves. The Laura Gale House listed in May 2015 asking $1.1 million, and returned last month seeking $1.075 million.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8634083/imagereader__1_.jpeg)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8421319/16_09607498_7_1493262109.jpg)
↑ J. Kibben Ingalls House
After two years on the market, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ingalls House is finally under contract. While not as slow to sell as some other Wright houses, the asking price on the Ingalls House was lowered considerably from its original $1,325,000 ask in early 2015. Its most recent $899,000 ask from April appears to have done the trick and landed this one an offer.
The property features four bedrooms, two baths, and a kitchen that while not original, meshes well with the rest of the home’s walls and millwork. Built in 1909, the house is a bit of a departure from other notable Wright works done in the Prairie style. However, the home features many quintessential Wright features such as low-hanging gables and art glass windows.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633815/parker_house_1.jpg)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633825/parker_house_3.jpg)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633819/parker_house_2.jpg)
↑ Robert Parker House
If you can’t see Frank Lloyd Wright in the Robert Parker House, you’re not entirely off base. Wright designed the house in 1892 while he was still working under the tutelage of Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler. Wright’s full-fledge Prairie School was still a few years off, but the Parker House does have some hints of Wright’s flair for the emerging style. Famously, the commission, along with two others taken under the table, led to Wright’s dismissal from Adler & Sullivan.
The Parker House last entered the market in April 2014 when it listed at $798,000. A few weeks later, the price was reduced to $775,000. The price change seemed to do the trick as just a few days later, the house was under contract. It eventually closed at $750,000 in July 2014. However, the famous “bootleg” house returned this May seeking $840,000.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633891/genMid.09597486_0.jpg)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8633897/genMid.09597486_6_0.jpg)
↑ Foster House and Stable
The Foster House and Stable located within Chicago city limits is by far the least expensive Wright house currently for sale in the area, but it’s also the one that needs the most attention. Originally constructed in 1900, the house designed for Stephen Foster, a real estate attorney who worked with developers around the West Pullman neighborhood.
The house and stable on South Harvard Avenue is not your typical Prairie-style home. Instead, this one features a Japanese-influenced flair and steeply pitched rooflines—something that is not exactly common in Frank Lloyd Wright designs. In 1996, the house was declared a Chicago Landmark. It’s currently asking $250,000.