Thomas P. Hardy House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thomas P. Hardy House
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 Location in Wisconsin
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1319 S. Main St., Racine, Wisconsin |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1905 |
| Architect | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style | Prairie school |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000120 |
| Added to NRHP | December 3, 1974 |
The Thomas P. Hardy House is a special home in Racine, Wisconsin. It was designed by a famous architect named Frank Lloyd Wright in 1905. This house is a great example of his "Prairie school" style. It sits right on a bluff, looking out over Lake Michigan.
The front of the house, which faces the street, is mostly covered in stucco. This design helps give the people living inside privacy from the sidewalk and street. But the other side of the house has many large windows that open up to amazing views of Lake Michigan.
Contents
A Home on the Hillside
This house is built on a steep hill. It goes up and down the hillside, almost like it's climbing. Part of the house is even a partial basement.
Unique Window Design
On the first floor, facing the street, there are seven special art glass windows. These windows have a design that looks like a simplified map of the house itself. Most of the other windows are either on the very top level or on the side that faces the lake.
Living with a View
From the street, you can't see everything. Below street level, there's a terrace. There's also a two-story living room inside. This living room has a balcony on the upper floor. Both the living room and the balcony offer wide-open views of the lake.
Restoring the Hardy House
From 2013 to 2015, the house went through a big update. During this renovation, its color was changed back to its original terra cotta shade. This color is a reddish-orange, similar to salmon.
Wright's Smart Design
The Thomas P. Hardy House shows how good Frank Lloyd Wright was at designing homes that fit perfectly into their surroundings. Many houses on this street are very close to the sidewalk. This is because the hill drops down quickly from the street towards the lake.
But Wright designed the entrance to the Hardy House to be right at the edge of the sidewalk. This clever design makes the most of the land.
A Classic Wright Home
Many people think this house is one of Wright's best works. A famous writer named Henry Russell Hitchcock even called it a "masterpiece." He believed it was one of the best examples of Wright's homes built on steep sites overlooking water.
Images for kids
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Lower level.
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Ground floor.
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Upper floor.
See also
In Spanish: Casa Thomas P. Hardy para niños
