Wright stuff:
I’m excited to be part of a small group visiting Frank Lloyd Wright’s one contribution to architecture in the city of Houston – a private residence located in the Memorial area.
Among the few stories I’ve found online about the house (designed in 1954) is this New York Times piece from 1991: Houston Journal - A House With a History May Not Have a Future - NYTimes.com. Even then, almost 20 years ago, the house was threatened by possible demolition. Since then, from what I’ve been told, significant modifications, including an addition (designed by Kirksey), have been made to the house.
I like this, from the NYT:
Mr. Thaxton [original owner who commissioned Wright] said it cost $125,000 to build the house, an astronomical sum at the time. The amount included Wright’s $25,000 fee. “You didn’t work with Mr. Wright,” Mr. Thaxton said. “You presented Mr. Wright with a piece of property.”
The house is owner-occupied, so we don’t know if we’ll be allowed to take photos today. Will take a few, if it’s okay.
Related: Previous posts about the preservation and maintenance of Wright-designed properties elsewhere.