Frank Lloyd Wright house hits market for first time in 50 years 

A historic Kankakee home designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright is up for grabs for the first time since the 1970s.

The 3,300-square-foot estate on Harrison Avenue, built in 1900 during the early part of Wright’s career, carries an asking price of $779,000, Crain’s reported. Victoria Krause Schutte of @properties is the listing agent.

It’s tough to say how long it might take for the house to land a buyer, as Chicagoland’s housing market is in a transition. While home sales dropped 20 percent in 2023 amid high interest rates and fears of an economic downturn, home showings surged to start the year. The increase in buying and selling activity can be attributed to a slight dip in interest rates and mild winter weather. 

The Kankakee house, about an hour south of Chicago, was one of a pair of neighboring homes commissioned by Warren Hickox and his sister Anna Hickox Bradley. At just 33 years old, Wright was already pushing the boundaries of architectural norms, blending elements of Victorian design with his own vision of simplicity and clarity.

John Waters, preservation programs manager at the Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings Conservancy, emphasized the significance of the project in Wright’s evolution as an architect. He noted that while the house still retains vestiges of Victorian influence, such as steep pitched roofs, it also showcases Wright’s unmistakable style, with broad overhanging roofs and windows adorned with intricate geometric patterns.

The property, which has been owned by the Brown family since 1976, features four bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a spacious basement, sitting atop about 0.6 acres. 

One of the most striking aspects of the house is Wright’s innovative use of hexagonal line patterns for the windows, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow throughout the interior spaces. Inside, the living room serves as the focal point, with two hexagonal spaces flanking it, each adorned with art glass doors that open onto the surrounding landscape.

Some modifications have been made to the interior over the years, such paint over much of the original woodwork. A few other aspects are due for an upgrade, including a small boxy porch — an uninspired replacement of the original terrace — as well as the kitchen, which was last updated before the Browns bought the house, the outlet said. The utilities are also decades old, although still in good working order. 

Nonetheless, the house has maintained much of its vintage charm, like the tall brick fireplace and original wood floors, reflecting what Waters described as “a fertile year” for the legendary architect.

—Quinn Donoghue 

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