Isabel Roberts facts for kids

Isabel Roberts (born March 1871 – died December 27, 1955) was an important American architect. She was part of the famous Prairie School movement. Isabel worked with the well-known architect Frank Lloyd Wright in his Oak Park Studio. Later, she became a partner with Ida Annah Ryan in their own architecture firm, "Ryan and Roberts," in Orlando, Florida.

Early Life and Family

Isabel Roberts was born in Mexico, Missouri, in March 1871. She was the younger of two daughters. Her father, James H. Roberts, was an inventor and mechanic. Her mother, Mary Harris Roberts, was a homemaker.

The Roberts family moved several times. They lived in places like Providence, Rhode Island. They finally settled in South Bend, Indiana. There, Isabel's father worked at a factory for over 20 years. He also served on the city council. The family was active in their church and community. Through these groups, they became friends with Laura Caskey Bowsher. This friendship later led to Isabel introducing Laura to Frank Lloyd Wright. Laura then asked Wright's studio to design her home, the K. C. DeRhodes House.

Learning to Be an Architect

Isabel Roberts spent three years studying architecture in New York City. From 1899 to 1901, she attended the Masqueray-Chambers atelier. An "atelier" is like a special studio or workshop. This was the first place in the U.S. to teach architecture in the French style.

The atelier was started by Emmanuel Louis Masqueray. He is famous for designing the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Minnesota. Isabel was among many talented students there. One of them was William Van Alen, who later designed the famous Chrysler Building.

Masqueray believed in women's ability to succeed in architecture. He even opened a second atelier just for women students. He said they could succeed if they were serious about their studies.

Working with Frank Lloyd Wright

Isabel Roberts was one of the first people to work for Frank Lloyd Wright. This was when he started his own studio in Oak Park, Illinois. Wright and other architects formed a group called The Chicago Group. This group later became known as the Prairie School.

The Prairie School Style

The Prairie School architects followed a rule: "form follows function". This means a building's shape should come from its purpose. Their buildings had special features:

• They fit well with the surrounding landscape.
• They had open and informal floor plans.
• They often had large roof overhangs.
• They used horizontal lines and grouped windows.
• They used simple, natural designs as decoration.
• They were also influenced by Japanese architecture and the English Arts and Crafts movement.

Isabel's Role in the Studio

Many people thought Isabel Roberts was just Wright's secretary. But she was much more! She was a skilled architect and designer. Wright's son, John Lloyd Wright, saw her work firsthand. He said Isabel was one of the draftsmen, helping to create the famous Prairie style buildings.

Isabel Roberts helped design the beautiful leaded glass windows in Prairie houses. For example, she designed windows for the Harvey P. Sutton House. She also worked on projects like the Darwin D. Martin House and Unity Temple. Her family today remembers her as an architect.

Isabel was also close to the Wright family. She often babysat their six children. Photos show her with Wright's wife, children, mother, and sister.

Designing Her Own Homes

While working for Wright, Isabel and her mother asked Wright's studio to design a house for them. This house is known as the Isabel Roberts House. It is in River Forest, Illinois. Isabel herself said she designed this house. She and her mother lived there for ten years.

Isabel also said she designed the K. C. DeRhodes House in South Bend, Indiana. She designed it for her friend, Laura Caskey Bowsher DeRhodes.

After Frank Lloyd Wright left for Europe in 1909, Isabel Roberts helped finish his projects. She worked with other architects to complete the designs. Then, Isabel locked the doors of the Oak Park Studio. This marked the end of Wright's productive years there. Isabel then worked for architect William Drummond for about a year.

Building in Florida

In the early 1920s, Isabel Roberts and her mother moved to St. Cloud, Florida. Isabel's sister and her husband already lived there.

Ryan and Roberts Firm

In Florida, Isabel Roberts started an architecture firm with Ida Annah Ryan. Ida Ryan was the first woman in the United States to earn a master's degree in architecture from MIT. Their firm was called "Ryan and Roberts." They were one of only a few architecture firms in Orlando in the 1920s.

Isabel tried to join the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Her former colleagues, including Frank Lloyd Wright, wrote letters saying she was an architect. Even so, she was not accepted into the AIA at that time. But this did not stop her!

Key Buildings in Florida

Ryan and Roberts designed many important buildings in Central Florida. Some of them are still standing today:

Veterans Memorial Library

• Veterans Memorial Library (now St. Cloud Heritage Museum), St. Cloud, Florida. This building was designed in 1922. It looks a bit like the Prairie School style. It is made of hollow tile with a stucco outside. Today, it is well-kept and used daily as a museum.

• Amherst Apartments, Orlando, Florida. Designed in 1921-1922, these apartments were once very fancy. They were built in the Prairie Style. Sadly, the building was torn down in 1986.

• Tourist Club House, St. Cloud, Florida. This clubhouse opened in 1923. It also showed the influence of the Prairie School style. It was a rectangular building with a special barrel-shaped roof. This building was torn down around 2005.

• The Ryan/Roberts Home and Studio, Orlando, Florida. Ryan and Roberts designed this home and studio for themselves. It was built between 1920 and 1924. It is in the Mediterranean Revival style. This building is still a private home today.

• The Chapel at the Fisk Funeral Home, St. Cloud, Florida. This building mixes Prairie and Spanish Revival styles. It has pointed arches and grouped windows.

• The Pennsylvania Hotel Building, St. Cloud, Florida. This building now houses the St. Cloud Twin Theatres.

• The Peoples Bank Building, St. Cloud, Florida. This bank building is now used as a cafe and barber shop.

• Ross E. Jeffries Elementary School, St. Cloud, Florida. Built around 1926, this school may have been designed by Ryan & Roberts. It has an arched porch and large windows.

• Lester M. Austin, Sr. Residence, Winter Garden, Florida. This large Mediterranean Revival house was built around 1927. It is still a private home.

• The Fraser Residence, Orlando, Florida. This elegant mansion is also in the Mediterranean Revival style. Ryan and Roberts often used unique window shapes in their designs, which can be seen here.

• Unity Chapel, Orlando. This charming building was once a church. It was in an English country style. It was later torn down.

• Lake Eola Bandstand, Orlando. Built in 1924, this bandstand had a unique roof and Prairie Style lamps. It was later demolished.

Isabel Roberts was a member of the St. Cloud Presbyterian Church. Later, she joined the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando.

Isabel Roberts and Ida Annah Ryan lived and worked together in their Orlando home and studio for the rest of their lives. Isabel Roberts passed away in Orlando on December 27, 1955, at age 84. She was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Orlando.

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See also

In Spanish: Isabel Roberts para niños