I was lucky enough to get a preview. Jerry
Heinzeroth, who was a close friend of the Laurents as well as
President of the Laurent House Foundation board, gave us a
special tour.The
story behind the home is as thrilling as the new museum.
Kenneth
Laurent was a disabled, wheel-chair-bound World War II veteran
who was having a problem finding a place that met his special
needs. His wife, Phyllis, suggested they contacted Frank Lloyd
Wright and ask him to
design a home to meet Kenneth's needs. Wright agreed.
It took a while to design and build the
home and during that time, Wright became friends with the
Laurents. Perhaps this is one reason the home is so special. The
Laurents lived in the home from 1952 until 2012, when the home
and all of its original Frank Lloyd Wright-designed furniture
was acquired by the Laurent House Foundation and added to the
National Register of Historic Places.
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The single-story Usonian home is both
functional and beautiful. The amazing thing is it met the needs
of its handicapped owner decades ahead of Americans with
Disabilities Act accessibility requirements. The home features a
solar hemicycle footprint, patio, fishpond, carport, and outdoor
connectivity to the natural landscape.
The home was designed to provide
wonderful views
The kitchen is functional as
well as beautiful
The Laurent House will welcome tours year
round on the first and last weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of
each month.Regular tours will depart from Midway Village Museum
(6799 Guilford Rd., Rockford) at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
The bath may have been Wright's
greatest challenge
