Walk Through History: Frank Lloyd Wright

Constructed between 1903 and 1905 as the home of Darwin and Isabelle Martin, the Martin House exemplifies Frank Lloyd Wright's "Prairie House" ideal and ranks as one of his finest residential works. Tours at the Martin House underscore how Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural genius is illustrated in timeless themes evident in his remarkable design: family, friendship, the meaning of home, and the American spirit as told through the story of Darwin D. Martin's patronage of America's greatest architect. The Darwin Martin House, located in the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Parkside neighborhood, is considered one of the finest examples of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie-style design, and features a 1.5 acre campus landscape, designed by Wright and landscape architect Walter Burley Griffin. The historic landscape represents an important contributing feature to the overall significance of the estate. Wright developed an integrated design approach unifying buildings, interior decorative elements and exterior landscape in an organic style, deriving inspiration from the natural world. The Martin House landscape plan combines formal aspects of the English Garden tradition and informal landscape elements. The grounds of the Martin House are open to the public. You are welcome to come explore the landscape and the exterior of the buildings. The interior spaces of the historic houses are accessible on guided tours. Reservations are highly recommended.