A First Look at the Building That Helped Define Frank Lloyd Wright’s Career

When the 34-year-old Frank Lloyd Wright was commissioned by self-made millionaire Darwin D. Martin to design a family home in Buffalo, New York, the architect already had an impressive body of work behind him. The Martin House, as it is now called, is one of the city’s key architectural attractions and one of Wright’s first forays into the now famous Prairie style, with its characteristic long, low roofs, planes that seem at one with the earth, low proportions, gently sloping roofs, and quietly suppressed chimneys. While Buffalo is not technically part of the American Prairie, its location in western New York prompted the young architect to extend his then burgeoning style to the East. His architectural thinking at the time was literally, “out of the box,” since he was determined to get rid off the boxed-in interiors common in Victorian residential architecture, believing that these environments were not healthy.

For the first time, after over 20 years of restoration, the Barton House in the Martin House complex officially opens its doors to the public this week. The Barton House is often glossed over when visitors come to the Martin House complex, with some reason: It doesn’t have an elaborate glazed-tile fireplace as the Martin House does, nor does it have a long pergola that leads up to the popular replica statue of the Winged Victory of Samothrace (often called the Nike of Samothrace) that now permanently resides in the Louvre in Paris.

But while the Barton House typically gets less fanfare than the Martin House, it was Wright’s first architectural volley in Buffalo, and it was very uncommon for a house to be built out of concrete at the time (most were of brick with wood masonry). The restoration project began in earnest in 1992 with the formation of the Martin House Restoration Complex (MHRC). Reconstruction of the site and of the building started in 1996 by the late Ted Lowney of HHL Architects, and was completed under the auspices of Matt Meier and Jamie Robideau.

The Barton House was Wright’s first Buffalo commission from Darwin Martin: It was initially a test from the millionaire to see if the architect could really pull it off before the larger and more formal Martin House was commissioned. So, one could say it was actually more important to the architect’s career than the Martin House itself. It was a gift for Martin’s sister, Delta, and her husband, George Barton, who was also an employee of the Larkin Soap Company at the time, which made its fortunes through mail order. The architecture itself is based on the J.J. Walser House that Wright had designed in Chicago, with a beautiful golden yellow Roman brick that glistens in the sun and terra-cotta roof tiles.

“You can’t deny how prolific Wright was, and how instrumental he was in changing the style of design,” says Meier. “The Prairie House style is emblematic in this property, and by Wright’s own admission, it took several decades for the style to catch up before it became a crazy sprawl movement and vogue for flat residential design that certainly wasn’t done in 1905 let alone the 1940s.”

With its open-form cruciform plan, broad low-pitched eaves, and ribbons of windows, the Barton House is a shining example of one of Wright’s earliest forays into the Prairie style of architecture. HHL Architects worked on the project and supplemented the roof framing to make it stiffer (a common complaint of Wright’s architecture was the roofing, with its dramatic overhangs that often led to leaks and drainage issues).

“The entrance to the house is unique,” says Meier, “Because you are on a porch that is considered both indoors and outdoors, and the house opens up from there.” He adds, “I can see myself living there because it’s a standard home at the same time, and a logical part of this very crazy Martin House complex.” The Barton House also has a brick fireplace with gilded mortar, but it is much more understated. The first floor has a living room, a foyer, and a large veranda with mahogany wood floors and a deck, and the second floor features four bedrooms. Plenty of art glass light sconces are everywhere, in keeping with Wright’s vision to bring as much light into the house as possible.

Artist Jo Hormuth, who founded Chicago Architectural Arts, worked on the interior finishes. She restored the plaster ceilings and walls in accordance with Wright’s specificity (he called for colored beeswax glazes crafted from natural earth pigments, instead of paint). “In most areas, the final coat contains metallic bronzing powder,” she says. “The metal particles give the plaster areas a soft golden glow, but the autumnal colors in the underlayers come through subtly.”

Details like the jewel-like wall sconces, pendant lights, and built-in sideboards for the dining room make the Barton House shine like what it is: a gem.

Visitors to the Martin House Complex can book tours of the Barton House for $37 that includes the Martin House. The restored gardens will officially unveil to the public this fall.

RELATED: How to Renovate a Frank Lloyd Wright–Designed Home