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E. Arthur Davenport House Restoration / River Forest, Illinois

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 and to receive a LEED Silver rating. 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.

Awards
Visser Historic Preservation Award, Biannual 3 State Award Program Recognizing Excellence in the Restoration of a Wright Building, Seth Peterson Cottage Conservancy, 2009

Project Location

Location Map

    Key Information

  • Work done in a manner consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation
  • LEED Silver certification is in progress
  • Reconstruction of original 1901 roof extension, bay and veranda based upon physical evidence
  • Restoration of interior space configuration, materials and finishes
  • All work completed with maximum fidelity to original design
  • Innovative materials and finish research
  • Utilizes public/private funding sources such as the Illinois State Tax Assessment Freeze and a facade easement with the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy