Westcott House (Springfield, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Westcott House
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Westcott House
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1340 E. High St., Springfield, Ohio |
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| Built | 1908 |
| Architect | Wright, Frank Lloyd |
| Architectural style | Prairie School |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001413 |
| Added to NRHP | July 24, 1974 |
The Westcott House is a special home in Springfield, Ohio. It was designed by a famous architect named Frank Lloyd Wright. This house was built in 1908 for Burton J. Westcott, his wife Orpha, and their children. It's the only house in Ohio designed by Wright in the unique Prairie Style. The property has the main house, a garage with horse stables, and a long covered walkway called a pergola connecting them.
The Westcott Family Home
Burton J. Westcott moved to Springfield, Ohio, in 1903. He became the Treasurer for a company called The American Seeding Machine Company. He worked there for 21 years.
In 1916, Burton brought his own business, the Westcott Motor Car Company, to Springfield. He was the president of this car company. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the garage for the Westcott House. It was planned to have a large spinning platform for cars, like those used for trains. The garage also had two pony stables. A long pergola connected the garage to the main house.
Burton's wife, Orpha, was from Hamilton, Ohio. They had two children. Their daughter, Jeanne, was born in 1895. Their son, John, was born in 1903 in Springfield. Orpha Westcott was known as a very important and modern woman in Springfield. She is believed to have suggested that Frank Lloyd Wright design their new home.
In 1918, the Westcotts added a new part to their house. They built a summer porch on the second floor. A new room was added below it. These additions matched Wright's original Prairie Style design. By 1920, their daughter Jeanne had moved out. She married Richard Rodgers from Springfield, Ohio. Their wedding was held at the Westcott House. The only other people living in the house were a cook named Nora and a housemaid named Margaret. Both were from Ireland.
The 1920s were a difficult time for the Westcott family. Orpha sadly passed away in April 1923. At the same time, Burton's car company was having problems. He left his job at the American Seeding Machine Company to try and save his car business. He used all his money to try and keep the company going. But he had to sell it. This stress made him very sick. In 1926, Burton died at home at age 57. His sister from Richmond, Indiana, was taking care of him. His funeral was held at the Westcott House. He was buried in Richmond, Indiana. Burton J. Westcott was a true leader and a pioneer in manufacturing.
After Burton died in 1926, the Westcott House was sold. Roscoe Pierce bought it and lived there until 1941. In 1944, Eva Linton bought the house. She divided the main house into five separate apartments. She also changed the stables, adding a kitchen and bathroom. The garage became her own home. For the next 37 years, the house slowly became worn down and damaged. Eva Linton died in 1980. Her niece, Dorothy Jane Snyder, inherited the property in 1981. Dorothy kept the house until 1988. Then she sold it to her son, Ken Snyder, and his wife, Sherri.
Saving the Westcott House
In 1991, Ken Snyder died in a car accident. Sherri found it hard to take care of the large house. In 2000, she sold the house. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy bought the damaged Westcott House. They paid $300,000 for it. Then, in 2001, they sold it to a new group called The Westcott House Foundation.
The Westcott House Foundation was started by people in Springfield who wanted to save the house. They received a large grant of $3.5 million from the local Turner Foundation. This helped them buy the house and promise to restore it. Two architecture companies, Chambers, Murphy and Burge, and Schooley Caldwell Associates, were chosen to lead the project. The restoration of the Westcott House took almost five years and cost $5.8 million. It was finished in 2005. More than 400 architects, engineers, craftspeople, and volunteers helped. The original stucco on the walls was fixed. Paint was removed from brick walls. The old roof tiles were replaced with new ones. The Westcott House opened to the public on October 15, 2005.
Today, the Westcott House Foundation offers many programs. They have talks, educational programs for students and teachers, and design exhibits. They also host art events and workshops. The foundation wants to help people understand Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture better. They teach about his ideas of "organic architecture" and how he designed buildings. You can take guided tours of the house from Wednesdays through Sundays.
See also
- List of Frank Lloyd Wright works
