One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s First Commissions Lists near Chicago for $2.4 Million

Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie style and usonian homes are well recognized around the world, but his earlier commissions—those completed between the 1890s—are not nearly as well-known.

Built in 1895, the Chauncey Williams House in River Forest, IL which is now listed for $2.4 million, is one of those.

Chauncey Williams was a classmate of Wright’s at the University of Wisconsin and he hired the architect to design his family home in this near-western suburb of Chicago. The home is also only 1 mile from the home where Wright lived and had his studio.

After working for Louis Sullivan at Adler & Sullivan, Wright left the firm in 1893, then went into private practice, first in Chicago, then—by 1898—in Oak Park.

Open for limited showings, and handled by the estate of the last steward, the six-bedroom, 4.5-bath home spanning three stories across 3,297 square feet has been listed with Tagger O’Brien of P.M. Walsh & Co. The same family has owned it for 54 years.

"This is a unique home for Frank Lloyd Wright with the vaulted roof and the steep pitch. The majority of his homes are horizontal," O'Brien says.

The home has been celebrated for its "exaggerated, steeply pitched roof with a wide overhang that projects like a tent over a shallow base," according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust in a description of the property on its website. In addition to that, "mounds of boulders from the nearby Des Plaines River flank an arched entryway bordered in Sullivanesque ornament."

While it’s not known exactly how many families owned the home before the sellers, much of the interior is original and has been thoughtfully preserved over the decades, including the front door, lighting fixtures and fireplaces throughout, and a beamed ceiling in the living room.

Four bedrooms, including the primary suite, are on the second floor, with an additional two on the floor above. Unique for a Wright home, the basement is finished. It boasts a wine cellar, recreation room, laundry and utility rooms, and a half bath.

There are several other wow-worthy features are inside the home.

"The beautiful stained glass [window] on the second-floor hallway is lit up because there’s a skylight atrium on the third floor," says O’Brien.

Like many of Wright's homes, there are a ton of windows, coaxing in natural light. The library alone is anchored by three windows each on an octoganal design, which is common in a few of Wright's subsequent homes, including the Warren Hickox House in Kankakee, Illinois, completed in 1900.

Then, outside, the aforementioned rocks and boulders around the foundation brought over from the Des Plaines River remain intact, framed by the arched doorway.

After 1900 the structure’s dormers were modified and an enclosed porch added, according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.

Eight years ago the sellers installed a new roof that cost six figures, says O’Brien. The design incorporates a composite that resembles slate.

While it’s true the property is unlike many of Wright’s designs, it does share similarities with some of his other homes.

"The octagonal configuration of the dining room and library also appeared with frequency in his contemporary work," says the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust. Also, two materials the architect frequently employed—Roman brick and stucco—were chosen for this home’s design, too.

In addition to the home itself, what might draw potential buyers is the size of the lot and the neighborhood where it’s located.

"It’s got a beautiful backyard that was designed by someone who worked at the Morton Arboretum (in Lisle, Illinois)," says O’Brien. This includes two patio areas: one in the shade and one in the sun, for a variety of sun exposures.

"It’s on a great lot. It’s a 125’ x 200’ lot," adds O'Brien.

Another perk is that the home is in a quiet part of town.

"It’s on a secluded street. It’s not a through street by any means. It’s only a block-and-a-half long," says O’Brien.

The listing also includes a two-car garage.

O'Brien says the schools and the proximity to both Chicago airports as well as the city's downtown are what attract people to River Forest, a community of just under 12,000 people.

"Those are probably the biggest pluses. There is a family that has shown some interest. They’ve been there a couple of times and have come back with a builder-designer," she says.