Jacobs I

The First Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House was constructed in 1936-1939. It was the first of Wright’s Usonian Houses, homes designed by Wright for middle-income families. The Usonian Houses are considered the precursors to the ranch houses of the 1950s.

For pictures of the interior, click here.

The Unitarian Meeting House

The First Unitarian Society of Madison hired Wright to design this building in 1946. Members hauled stones from the quarry and finished the interior. Two additions were added after Wright’s death, supervised by Taliesin Associated Architects.

Monona Terrace

Madison, Wisconsin (not to be confused with our hometown of Madison, South Dakota) is the capital of Wisconsin and the home of the University of Wisconsin. It is also the location of a Frank Lloyd Wright building with a most unusual history: Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.

Wright first proposed a building on this site just blocks from the State Capitol on the edge of Lake Monona in 1938.

The County Board defeated the plan by one vote. By 1941 it looked like the project might move forward. Then World War Two intervened.

In 1954 the project was on and Wright was approved as architect. But in 1957 the project was derailed. In 1959 Wright died.

In the 1960’s the project was restarted, only to be stopped yet again.

Finally in 1992 voters narrowly approve the project and in 1994 construction began, overseen by Taliesin architect Tony Puttnam.

Monona Terrace finally opened in July 1997, 59 years after the inception of the project and 38 years after Wright’s death.

Otis Redding died in a plane crash in Lake Monona on December 10, 1967 at the age of 26. His biggest hit “(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" was recorded only three days earlier. Redding did not consider the recording complete, as he wanted to write lyrics for one more verse. The song was released posthumously with the now-famous whistling in place of the missing lyrics.

This plaque on the rooftop of Monona Terrace was placed in Redding’s memory

It does not mention that Redding’s manager, four members of his backup band, the Bar-Kays, and the pilot were also killed in the crash.

Penzeys Spices

As we were driving around Madison, Jill saw a sign and exclaimed “There’s Penzeys Spices!” For more than a year she had been looking for five specific spices of theirs, renowned in the gourmet world. Good thing we found one of their stores because now we know that they’re not sold in any other stores.

Caution!

Floor may be wet.

Really?

Wingspread

Following the completion of the Johnson Wax Headquarters Building in Racine, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a home, known as Wingspread, for Herbert Fisk Johnson, Jr.

The house was given to the Johnson Foundation in 1959 and is used as an international educational conference facility.

The National Endowment for the Arts and National Public Radio originated in conferences held at Wingspread.

Unlike most Wright buildings, admission is free, though tours are limited to times when no conferences are scheduled. Also, tours are self-guided and photography is permitted inside and you are allowed to sit on the furniture.

Jill is standing in the cantilevered bedroom. It was Johnson’s daughter's room

The spiral staircase leads up to a windowed cupola, designed for the Johnson children. Incredibly, visitors (who fit) are allowed to go up in it.

The view from the top.

An original Wright-designed desk from the Johnson Wax Headquarters Building in Racine.

Cliffside Park

While visiting Racine, we stayed at Cliffside Park, operated by Racine County. The park was most spacious, not crowded, and we enjoyed our stay there very much.

Nearby was the Wind Point Lighthouse on Lake Michigan.