Join us for a major preservation project

In the Fall of 2025, the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park will take on the largest restoration project since the home was purchased from Russell Kraus in 2001. A new cedar shingle roof will be installed, replacing the asphalt shingles installed by the original homeowners in the 1990s and returning the home to as built in 1951. This project will restore the house to Frank Lloyd Wright’s original design and preserve and protect the home for future generations.

The 2025 restoration will involve the entire roofline, including installation of new cedar shingles, replacing the flat roof membrane, restoring the cedar fascia, restoring the chimney masonry, and installing new custom skylights. The project is led by Harboe Architects (Chicago, IL), specialists in Wright building preservation with experience on notable projects, including Taliesin West and Unity Temple, and St. Louis-based McMillan Construction Group will serve as the general contractor. Construction begins in September 2025 and is expected to be completed by year-end.

A generous matching grant has been made by Clare Davis and David Obedin.  This grant will match all donations for the roof restoration up to $100,000 through December 31, 2025.  The FLWHEP is deeply grateful for Clare and David’s demonstration of leadership and commitment to this critical project.

Please consider supporting the roof restoration. To make a match-eligible gift simply donate below and/or note on your donation memo that it is for the roof restoration.

Preservation in Progress! You can follow along with the progress of the roof restoration thanks to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy who will be documenting the project at www.savewright.org.

Lecture recording available: Learn more about the research and decision-making process for the roof project made in consultation with Harboe Architects. Gunny Harboe, FAIA, presented on this project at the Joanne and Alan Kohn Lecture in May 2025, the recorded lecture is available here:

All contributions to the roof restoration up to $100,000 and through December 31, 2025 will be matched by the Clare Davis and David Obedin Matching Grant.