During the recent flooding created by the Cedar River in Charles City, Iowa, there were real concerns expressed regarding some interior water damage to a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Friday, August 27, 1999

During the recent flooding created by the Cedar River in Charles City, Iowa, there were real concerns expressed regarding some interior water damage to a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Now, why should there be so much concern about this particular structure? The answer can be found with the name of one of the nation’s most famous architects.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was born in Richland Center, Wis., started his long career in the Chicago area, and spent the later part of his life at Taliesin East (summers) near Spring Green, Wis., and Taliesin West (winters) in Scottsdale, Ariz.

During his very active life, Wright designed and supervised the construction of a multitude of homes, office buildings, several churches, and even a service station here in Minnesota.

Some of his most outstanding creations are the S. C. Johnson Wax office building (1939) in Racine, Wis., the Kaufmann &uot;Falling Water&uot; house (1936) near Uniontown, Pa., and the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.

Wright designed this hotel in the early 1920s to withstand the worst of the Japanese earthquakes. Many &uot;experts&uot; questioned his design for this building, Yet, after a devastating earthquake in 1923 which killed 143,000 people in the Tokyo-Yokohama area, his Imperial Hotel was one of the few undamaged structures in central Tokyo.

However, Wright’s best known creation was what became known as the &uot;prairie style&uot; house. I could try to describe the features of this structure. Instead, I’ll just identify the official Frank Lloyd Wright homes, plus a bank-hotel building, in this area.

Here in Minnesota there’s both a house and the unique service station in Cloquet. Other Wright designed structures are in Stillwater (one), Minneapolis (two), Wayzata (one), Rochester (two or three), and Austin (one).

One list of Wright structures shows there are two houses, constructed in 1951, on Skyway Drive in Rochester. Another guide lists the third Wright (prefabricated) house, erected in 1957, at 1532 Woodland Drive SW, Rochester.

The nearest Wright house to Albert Lea was constructed in 1951 for S. P. Elam on Eastwood Road in Austin. This house didn’t move, but the present address for what’s now the Plunkett residence is 309 21st St. SW, Austin.

Incidentally, nearly all the Wright houses are private residences and should be respectfully observed from the street or sidewalk.

However, three of four of the nearest Wright structures in Iowa are available for full public inspection.

One of these places is the Stockman House (1908) at 530 First St. N.E. in Mason City which is open on weekends during September and October. An admission is charged.

Not far away is the Rock Glen-Rock Crest National Historical District with many distinctive &uot;prairie style&uot; houses. They were designed by architects who were Wright’s students in Wisconsin and Arizona, or followed his particular building concepts.

Not far away, at the corner of West State Street and South Federal, and a half block north of Southbridge Mall, is the combined City National Bank and Park View Hotel structure which was built in 1909. This unusual building has several distinctive overhangs and terra-cotta ornamentation.

The building has had some exterior changes through the years and is now the location for Moorman Clothiers, Mason City Chamber of Commerce, and several offices and apartments.

The Charles City home is at 701 E. Blount St. and a private residence.

To the southeast of Charles City is a Wright-designed house, considered to be one of his most complete creations, which is the centerpiece of Cedar Rock State Park.

This park is located near the town of Quasqueton, Iowa, not far from Independence and to the east of Waterloo.

The house was built in 1949-50 for Lowell and Agnes Walter. They gave the structure to the people of Iowa in 1981 with a trust fund for its preservation. Admission is free and the hours are 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, until Oct. 31.

Now let’s close off with the answers to three localized questions.

Are there any Wright houses in Freeborn County? No.

Are there any &uot;prairie style&uot; houses in Albert Lea? Yes.

Isn’t the Norwest Bank building in Owatonna a Wright creation? No, it was designed by another famous architect, Louis B. Sullivan, about 93 years ago.