Question: What if a house could tell tales of architectural innovation? The Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House can. It stands as a testament to Frank Lloyd Wright’s early genius.
The Laura Gale House is also known as the Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House. It is located in Oak Park Illinois. This Chicago suburb boasts many Wright designs. The Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House is a significant landmark. It sits within the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District. It earned a spot on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
Laura R. Gale commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design this home in 1909. Laura was the widow of realtor Thomas Gale. However, this wasn’t the Gale family’s first interaction with Wright. He had previously designed two houses on Chicago Avenue for them. These were two of Wright’s “bootleg” houses.
The Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House emerged during Wright’s productive Prairie style period. Architectural experts consider it a milestone. It marked an evolution in early modern architecture. Laura R. Gale lived here until 1962. Architect Howard Rosenwinkel then bought the house. He meticulously restored it.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House in his Prairie style. Wright used abstract geometrical shapes in the design. He anticipated and inspired modern European architects of the 1920s. The house is considered one of Wright’s most unusual designs from his Oak Park years. Its compact design features interlocking rectilinear forms. A fireplace sits at its center. The extreme rectilinear shapes distinguish it. You won’t find them in Wright’s other works. The Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House’s interior resembles the Walser House in Chicago. It also shares similarities with the Barton House in Buffalo New York.
The Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District. Experts consider this home one of Wright’s most successful small house designs. It foreshadowed other Prairie-style homes he designed later. These culminated in Fallingwater in Mill Run Pennsylvania in 1936.
The Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House is a unique architectural statement. It embodies Wright’s vision. It connects the past to the future of design.