The Wright Plus Housewalk returns to Oak Park Saturday, May 18. The house walk will feature eight Oak Park private homes, as well as Wright’s Home and Studio. Walk co-chairs Joan Pantsios and Debbie Crouch praise the local homeowners who are sharing their architecturally significant homes for Wright Plus, and said this year’s homes are an exciting glimpse into Oak Park’s rich architectural history.
Now in its 50th year, Wright Plus is a perennial favorite among local house walks and draws an international audience. Proceeds of the walk support the restoration, preservation and education programs of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
This year’s walk includes three Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes. The William G. Fricke home joined the line-up. Commissioned in 1901, the house showcases Wright’s Prairie Style.
Wright’s Harry S. Adams House, designed in 1913, and the Emma and Peter A. Beachy House, designed in 1906, also are on the walk.
“Even though some of the people on our tour have seen them before, it’s always fun to see them again,” Pantsios said.
She noted that when the Beachy House recently underwent a roof restoration project, the owners found a box of original roof tiles and were pleased to discover just how much their restoration resembled the original roof.
The Adams House is Wright’s last Oak Park design, and Pantsios said it “has a lovely flow to it.”
Three E.E. Roberts homes are on the walk, as well. The Simpson Dunlop House and Joseph K. Dunlop were designed in 1896 and 1897 for brothers who were the grandsons of Oak Park founder Joseph Kettlestrings.
Both homes have been featured on Wright Plus in the past, although Pantsios pointed out that the Simpson Dunlop house has not been featured since 1985, so it will be new to most people.
“It’s interesting to see how they were different originally, and what subsequent owners have done to the homes interior-wise,” she said.
Roberts’ other design on the walk is the E.W. Pratt House, designed in 1909. Crouch called the interiors of the home, “very charming and beautiful.”
Pantsios noted that later owners matched the original windows when re-working the front door. The house was moved to its current location in 1920 from its original lot on Oak Park Avenue. This is the home’s first appearance on Wright Plus.
Ashley C. Smith House (Tallmadge and Watson, 1908) | Credit: James Caulfield/Frank Lloyd Wright Trust 
Clyde E. and Elizabeth Shorey House (Max Dunning, 1922) | Credit: James Caulfield/Frank Lloyd Wright Trust 
Simpson Dunlop House (E.E. Roberts, 1896) | Credit: James Caulfield/Frank Lloyd Wright Trust 
Joseph K. Dunlop II House (E.E. Roberts, 1897) | Credit: James Caulfield/Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
The Ashley C. Smith House was designed by Tallmadge and Watson in 1908. The home boasts stunning, original leaded glass windows, and the fence replicates the pattern in the windows. Pantsios pointed out an interesting fact: The original sofas from the Beachy House now live in the Smith House, after an owner found the Beachy originals at a consignment store.
The Clyde and Elizabeth Shorey House is also new to Wright Plus. Designed in 1922 by architect Max Dunning, the home is one of two Dunning designs in Oak Park. Pantsios said the architect is not as well known in Oak Park, and expects that the trust researcher will have a lot of interesting information on the home.
Before You Go
Tickets for Wright Plus 2024 are available at: https://flwright.org/wright-plus. Tickets are $125 for the general public and $90 for trust members. At press time, several other ticket options remain available. The Fast Pass ticket allows participants to skip the line and costs $600 or $565 for trust members.
Ultimate Saturday tickets are $1,375 or $1,225 for trust members and include Fast Pass access to the homes, lunch the day of the walk at the Nineteenth Century Club and an exclusively Wright dinner on May 18 at the Avery Coonley House in Riverside, catered by chef Melissa Elsmo.
The Ultimate Plus Weekend package includes the perks of the Ultimate Saturday tickets along with a Friday excursion, Private Passage-Wright’s Glencoe, accommodations at the Carleton Hotel and transportation to and from all events. Ultimate Plus Weekend packages cost $2,675 or $2,525 for trust members.
