The Davenport House is an early Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style design built in 1901. The street facade and roof form were significantly altered and an original front terrace removed in 1931. The interior has undergone modest changes with each new owner, yet the original fabric of the interior is intact, covered by layers of new finishes. Harding Partners is restoring the house with maximum fidelity to the original 1901 design. The original facade condition and roof are being reconstructed, including a front terrace off the living room and prairie style landscaping, to achieve the essential Frank Lloyd Wright quality of melding the interior and exterior space. The interior woodwork, cabinetry and sand-textured plaster are being restored to the original finish materials and color scheme. The kitchen and bathroom are being gutted and renovated to visually fit the period and the house, while functioning as contemporary rooms. The furnishings will be reproductions of Wright designed pieces and custom area rugs patterned to echo the geometric art glass windows, creating a characteristically integrated whole.
Year: 2010
Location: River Forest, Illinois
Awards
2009 Visser Historic Preservation Award
E. Arthur Davenport House Restoration
Presentations
2009 Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy Annual Conference
Restoring Green: Sustainable Building Practices at the E. Arthur Davenport House
2007 Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy Annual Conference
Primary Research and Restoration at the E. Arthur Davenport House