Wednesday, April 6 – Rain, Rain, Go-Away, but we toured anyway! Can't let rain showers stop us. With rain predicted to continue all day here in Springfield, IL, we headed out to do some sightseeing hoping to be indoors most of the day.
We started the day at the Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site.
Owned by the State of Illinois, this home is the best preserved and most complete of Frank Lloyd Wright's early “Prairie” houses. The structure has changed little since its construction in 1902-04 at a cost of $60,000.
The long row of windows form the conservatory. 
The garden was beautiful. This is the only photo we were permitted to take.
The Dana-Thomas House is one of the largest and most elaborate residences designed by Frank Lloyd Wright during his 70 year-long career. Susan Lawrence Dana lived in the house until 1944 when it was sold with most of the contents to Charles Thomas. He used the home for 37 years as executive offices for his publishing firm. The house was then sold to the state of Illinois in 1981 and was totally restored to its original condition.
The Carriage house behind the wall. 
There is so much detail on the outside.
Two hundred original light fixtures and skylights illuminate the interior. Original sculptures in terra cotta by Richard W. Bock ornament the vestibule and reception hall, and the only surviving, original George Niedecken mural in any Wright house graces the four dining room walls. No photos were permitted inside the house…darn. It is spectacular! Marsha tried to find photos of the rooms online to share but could only find a few.
The front entrance.
The home, the 72nd building designed by Wright, contains more than 100 pieces of original Wright-designed furniture still in place along with 250 art glass doors, windows, and light panels.
Front door entrance.
Wright’s first “blank check” commission, the home has 35 rooms in the 12,000 square feet of living space which includes 3 main levels and 16 varying levels in all.
The fountain.
One of the sitting rooms.
The tour is a guided through the entire 12,000+ square foot home and gardens. The tour is free, but a donations of $10 per adult is recommended. The tour takes about 60 minutes. Our tour guide was excellent throwing in lots of fun facts as we walked the interior. There is also a movie about Frank Lloyd Wright, and the history of the house. This was a wonderful tour. One we would highly recommend.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!
Great house! Too bad they wouldn't allow photos inside. I can only imagine how neat it was.
ReplyDeleteWe had quite a bit of rain again too and in Arizona. They needed it but it doesn't mean that we like it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour. I both like and don't like his houses. Some features are wonderful but, alas, not all of them.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful house. Hard to believe it only cost $60,000 to build.
ReplyDeleteSuch huge old home, nice that it has been restored and open to the public.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't allow photography at the two FLW houses we have visited either. At Fallingwater they did offer a photography tour, but we were with my mom and it didn't seem fair to take up her time for my hobby. Thanks for sharing the internet photos so we can glimpse what you saw.
ReplyDeleteYeah, this is the kind of tour I would love. I have always been fascinated by architecture. Past life?
ReplyDeleteYou are always posting such interesting places to visit but we'll need another twenty years of RVing to see them all.
ReplyDeleteHave been having issues making comments on your post lately. got lucky this morning.
Hope the weather in Canton improves like it's supposed to here.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
Are you still in Springfield? We haven't seen this but will add it to the bucket list.
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ReplyDeleteJust imagine what 60 grand could buy back then. (Lots of typos in above post).
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it to this house, I knew it would be something the two of you could appreciate. I found it interesting that a 1904 home had a bowling alley in the basement.
ReplyDeleteforgot about seeing that while we were there. . .thanks for the trip down memory lane. . . always fun to experience great places again. . .
ReplyDeleteStop it right now, already too many things on the list :-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, great info