Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House
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The Laurent House in 2013, shortly after a storm damaged the roof
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 4646 Spring Brook Rd Rockford, Illinois |
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| Built | 1951 |
| Architect | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style | Usonian |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000555 |
| Added to NRHP | August 28, 2012 |
The Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House is a special home in Rockford, Illinois. It was designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This house is unique because it was the only one Wright ever designed for someone who used a wheelchair. It is a great example of Wright's Usonian style of architecture.
History of the Laurent House
Kenneth Laurent was born in Illinois in 1919. He moved to Rockford in 1937. There, he worked as a statistician for a company called National Lock Corporation. In Rockford, he met his wife, Phyllis Carman.
Kenneth served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He returned home in March 1946. A few months later, he began to feel severe pain. He also lost feeling in his legs. Doctors found a spinal tumor. An operation removed the tumor, but it left him paralyzed.
After his recovery, Kenneth received help from a special program. It was called the Specially Adapted Housing program. This program helped disabled veterans pay for a house. It covered 50% of the costs for a home designed for their needs. This was a great chance for the Laurents to buy their first house.
Phyllis read an article in House Beautiful magazine. It featured a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Kenneth then wrote to Wright in August 1948. He asked Wright to design a house for them.
The Laurents were invited to Taliesin, Wright's home and studio. It was in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Wright did not like the first lot the Laurents picked. He told them to find a new spot outside the city. The Laurents found a nice lot near a creek. Wright approved the new location.
Wright started designing the house in January 1949. The final plans were ready that August. The design was special for Wright. It had to be easy for a wheelchair to move around. This makes it the only house Wright designed for a person with a disability.
Building the House
A local builder named Harry V. Johnson constructed the house. The inside walls and outside trim used red tidewater cypress wood. John deKoven Hill, one of Wright's assistants, watched over the project.
The Laurents became good friends with Wright. Wright sometimes asked them to look at his new designs. He also visited the Laurents at their new home. In 1958, the Laurents wanted to add more rooms to their house. Wright made some designs, but the Laurents did not like them. Wright passed away before he could make new plans.
The addition was designed in 1960 by John H. "Jack" Howe. He was an architect from Evanston and a former student of Wright. Harry Johnson's son built the new part of the house. The Laurents were the only family who ever lived in the home.
On August 28, 2012, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a historically important place. It was planned to open for tours in 2013. However, a storm damaged the roof. A group called the Laurent House Foundation worked to raise money for repairs. The house finally opened for tours on June 8, 2014.
Architecture and Design
The Laurent House has a unique hemicycle design. This means it is shaped like a half-circle. It measures about 2,600 square feet. The house sits on a 1.3-acre lot that slopes gently toward Spring Creek.
The house is mostly built with red tidewater cypress wood and Chicago common brick. The original plans called for more expensive limestone. But the Laurents chose brick to save money. The house has a concrete foundation with a red color mixed into the top layer.
There are two large chimneys on the house. The main chimney is above the roof. The other is on the east side of the master bedroom. The roof is flat and made of tar and gravel. The house has wide eaves that stick out. Square lights are hidden along these eaves. All the windows have cypress frames.
The main entrance is under a two-car carport. A 50-foot curved glass wall faces the northwest. The house has radiant heat from water pipes under the floor. There is only a small room underground for things like the water heater. The bathrooms are larger than in most of Wright's designs. This was done to make them easier to use for someone in a wheelchair.
See also
In Spanish: Casa de Kenneth y Phyllis Laurent para niños
- List of Frank Lloyd Wright works
