Glore House receives recognition

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Thu May 21, 2009 7:59 pm

Lake Forest (IL) Preservation Foundation honors 14 homes

The Lake Forest Preservation Foundation's Historic Preservation Awards program marked its 19th consecutive year. Fourteen homes received awards from the Foundation at the May 3rd annual meeting.

Among the 2009 Historic Preservation Award Winners...

170 North Mayflower Road -- Preservation: This is the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Lake Forest and one of his last built on the North Shore. The Charles F. Glore Residence, as referred to in architectural circles, was commissioned in 1951 by Charles F. Glore Jr., a successful Chicago investment banker. Completed by Wright in 1953 while in his 80s, he sited the house on the edge of a broad, deep ravine and employed his modern "Usonian" design -- a "combination of affordability and utility for the common family." Having fallen vacant several times in the past and at one point in disrepair, the current owners are dedicated to preserving this treasure.

(our thanks to Harding Partners â€“ Paul A. Harding, ALA, FAIA)

RA · Post by RA » Sat May 23, 2009 3:04 pm

When the Conservency came through the Glore house before it went on tour a few years ago, the members who were there for a preview said it was one of the best preserved Wright houses they had seen. The two previous owners did much to preserve the house.

It is a wonderful home.

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sat May 23, 2009 3:47 pm

Richard Katz did a great thing for the legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright. Rather than restoring and adding on to the house he could have made a larger profit by selling the house to a developer as tear-down for the spectacular site wrapped with ravines on two sides. Thank you Richard and Beth!

The house is now in great hands. An architect and her husband bought the Glore House.

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:11 am

December '09 issue of the magazine Bon Appetit pages 134-141

Entertaining with Style: Dreaming of a Wright Christmas

A Chicago couple's historic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Charles Glore House is the perfect setting for a cozy winter supper with friends.

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:17 am

Congratulations. This is a great FLLW house that his been sensitively readapted to 21st living, The BEST original architect, of course, and a great architect and client to evolve it into today.

dkottum · Post by **dkottum** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:38 am

My understanding is that this house was altered to prevent its destruction, because its original design was no longer suitable to prospective upscale buyers. Sensitive adaptations and evolving original FLLW design are not good things. Mr Harding, in an earlier discussion, stated that the alterations were done in such a way as to allow the house to be brought back to its original design. It seems to me that would be most desirable.

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:05 am

dkottum wrote:.... Sensitive adaptations and evolving original FLLW design are not good things. ....

I agree.

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:42 pm

I was fortunate enough to attend a very nice piano recital held at the Glore House last Sunday. The homeowners were wonderful and the house looked great. About 40 people attended the fundraiser for the FLW School of Architecture.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 12:05 pm

A newly-acquired photo and a very recent online item prompt a review of the Glore residence. First, old news:

http://www.savewright.org/wright_chat/v ... php?t=2148

http://www.savewright.org/wright_chat/v ... php?t=2371

http://savewright.org/wright_chat/viewtopic.php?t=3201

Then, this:

http://jwcdaily.com/forestbluffmagazine ... of-dreams/

which shows gray-painted floors, among other surprises.

And, an undated Dave Anderson photo which seems not to reflect what's seen in Storrer's plan (which in turn is almost identical to the original plan drawing):

photo Â© Dave Anderson

Â© 1993 William Allin Storrer

Storrer's plans do not, of course, reflect alterations made by Harding and others . . .

Comparing the original plan (p 275, Taschen III) with Storrer's, the utility space appears to have grown to the south by half a unit. And the hexagonal deck eventually built is superimposed upon the original round pool.

SDR

JChoate · Post by **JChoate** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 12:54 pm

here is a link to someone's flickr page containing a nice set of images of the Glore house, taken before the floors turned gray. About 9 images into it there is a good photo showing the addition/renovation of the servants quarters wing

https://www.flickr.com/photos/twistedart/6328729365/

also shown is the circular wood deck that was placed where the circular pool was to have been.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 1:04 pm

Thanks, James. A view almost identical to Anderson's is among those photos.

The original brickwork appears to be a pinkish version of Chicago common brick. The garage addition doesn't perfectly match, with its sprinkling of darker units. Perhaps this was an intentional discrepancy . . . ?

SDR

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 3:08 pm

In Taschen III, at Glore, Pfeiffer refers to a precedent project, for John Pike, Los Angeles, 1948 (p 179):

This view differs from the plan, in regards at least to the drum location and size.

It is unfortunate that the room labels cannot be read -- and that the second-floor plan is omitted. There is a stair visible in the utilities drum, on the plan . . .

Here is Pfeiffer's text:

DRN · Post by **DRN** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 4:27 pm

It would seem then that the perforated boards of the garage wing are either new designs by the architect of the addition (not by Wright), or Wright designed "perfs" appropriated for this application?

This is a great set of pics, thanks for linking them James. I had never seen any pictures of this house other than some interior shots or views from the patio. The cast stone square windows in the original house are reminiscent of those at the Zimmerman house.

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:11 pm

One of the linked threads also has some good pictures which post-date alterations.

If the perfs seen above a board-and-batten wall are original to the house, would this be the only instance where Wright deploys both Zimmerman-style concrete windows and wooden perfs in the same structure ?

SDR

JChoate · Post by **JChoate** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:24 pm

I just bought Taschen III last weekend. I'll look that up when I get home & study further (if I can muster the strength to pick up that huge & heavy book). That aerial perspective is a beautiful drawing. In particular, look at the reflection of the house in the pool. (Am I right that Howe was the best renderer so this is probably his?) The only thing about that drawing that seems like it might be off is the scale of the enormous threesome sprawling in the foreground.