345 S 7th Ave

345 South Seventh: is the home used in our illustration of the Prairie Style for this tour. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright as his Third Ladies Home Journal House, “A Fireproof House for $5,000,” in 1906. Wright executed the plan in La Grange in 1907 for Mr. Stephen Hunt. The house differs somewhat from the Journal plan, notably in that Wright hoped to build the house from case concrete but instead built it of wood and stucco. This is one of Wright’s “square” houses, which are known for their economy of space and general compactness. This was also one of the first times that he used the L-shaped living room -dining room concept - almost unknown until then.

The Wright Prairie House was an attempt to harmonize a home and its setting. The low horizontal lines were inspired by the stretch of the prairies, and the deep overhand of the roof intended to protect the house from the intense summer rains. The cantilevered carport and porch roofs of the home lend further emphasis to the strong horizontal lines of the house itself. The landscaping adds to the effect