During the early 1890s, Frank Lloyd Wright was employed at the Sullivan and Adler architecture firm located in Chicago, Illinois. While employed with the firm, Wright would design several homes which would later be referred to as his “bootleg” houses.
These bootleg houses include the Robert P. Parker home in Oak Park, Illinois. Wright did this home (and several others) to help raise additional income for his growing family. Unfortunately, Louis Sullivan (of the Sullivan and Adler firm) seriously frowned upon designs created outside the firm and these bootleg homes lead to Wright’s dismissal from the company.
Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture: The Robert P. Parker House in Oak Park, Illinois
The Robert P. Parker house was actually commissioned by Thomas H. Gale, a local real estate agent. In 1892, Robert Parker, a local attorney, would purchase the home from Gale prior to it’s completion. This was also the same year that both the Walter Gale house and the Thomas H. Gale house were built. All three homes are located west of Wright’s own home, which is also located on Chicago Avenue.
Much like both of the Gale houses (and the Robert G. Emmond house in La Grange, Illinois,) the Parker house is a two story building that features a T-plan design. Also notable is the irregular, high-pitched roof with polygonal dormers. Dormers are windows that stick out from the surface of the roof and Wright’s dormers on the Parker home featured art glass.
At the entrance of the home is a walled-in porch with steps that appear to flow (or as some say, “spill”) out onto the front lawn. The steps are a great example of Wright’s idea of organic architecture and having the buildings blend into the landscape surrounding them.
Though the home is easily considered Queen Anne or Victorian in style, it is also easy to take note of Wright’s individual details throughout the home once you know what to look for. These details tend to be more geometric in shape, versus the rounder appearance often associated with Queen Anne styled homes of that era.
2010: The Robert P. Parker House Today
Like several of Wright’s homes, the Robert P. Parker house is a privately owned home. While the address is easy to obtain via the internet, it is recommended that any potential visitors respect that the home is a private residence and therefore it is important to respect the current owners’ privacy.
Jennifer Gittins - Jenne is a 23 year old writer, photographer and musician. She intends to go back to school when the economy picks up for a degree in ...
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