Wright’s Accessible Usonian: The Laurent House in Rockford
- Dates: 12 July 2016
- Location: Rockford, Illinois
- Website: http://flwright.org/tours/wrightintheregion/rockford
Calling it “my little gem,” Frank Lloyd Wright often
encouraged clients to visit the house he built in 1952 for Kenneth and
Phyllis Laurent in Rockford, Illinois. Follow Wright’s advice and
experience this fully restored residence, the only home Wright designed
to be handicapped accessible.
Noted for their open floor plans on a single level, Wright’s compact Usonian designs attracted the Laurents. The couple wanted a house suitable for Kenneth, who used a wheelchair due to paralysis after spinal surgery. The Laurents lived in the house for the next 60 years.
After lunch, the excursion will stop at the William Pettit Chapel in nearby Belvidere. This 1906 building has all the elements of Wright’s classic Prairie style, including a central fireplace, continuous bands of windows and wood trim throughout.
Noted for their open floor plans on a single level, Wright’s compact Usonian designs attracted the Laurents. The couple wanted a house suitable for Kenneth, who used a wheelchair due to paralysis after spinal surgery. The Laurents lived in the house for the next 60 years.
After lunch, the excursion will stop at the William Pettit Chapel in nearby Belvidere. This 1906 building has all the elements of Wright’s classic Prairie style, including a central fireplace, continuous bands of windows and wood trim throughout.
