all original historically important c. 1902 american arthur heurtley house leaded art glass residential window or “light screen” with original intact wood sash frame – executed by the linden glass works, chicago, ills.

About This Item

remarkable original and completely intact historically important early 20th century american arthur heurtley house leaded art glass window or “light screen” designed by frank lloyd wright and executed by the linden glass works, chicago, ills. the strongly geometric and heavily segmented window is comprised largely of clear glass panes accentuated by several clustered gold leaf sandwich glass squares and two opposed vertically oriented bands of “uranium” yellow-green glass. the zinc caming is structurally sound and stable. remarkably, the original pine wood sash frame is intact and free from damage. the early prairie style wright-designed window is free from cracks or breaks. excellent overall condition, considering age. located in oak park (a chicago suburb), the c. 1902 frank lloyd wright-designed arthur b. heurtley house is widely considered one of the earliest examples of a frank lloyd wright house in full prairie style. the design patterns and/or configurations he established within the heurtley house would eventually appear in many of his greatest works within the prairie style, including the emphasis on the exterior horizontal, with strong detail in the wooden siding and high bands of windows, low-pitched roofs, broad eaves, and terraces and balconies to bring the outside living easily to the occupants within. the interior of the heurtley house contains a grade level front door leading to a deeply colored low ceilinged entry hall. the major spaces are raised above the surrounding grounds, and as one climbs the stairs from the ground level, one is thrust into areas featuring soaring ceilings with trim echoing the exterior roof forms. this transition was used to emphasize one’s leaving of the outside world as they ascended the stairs. the fireplaces, which symbolized the hearth and home are centralized in the middle of the structure. the home’s interior is unique in that its floor plan is reversed from the traditional layout of a two story american home that was contemporary to the era in which the heurtly house was built. the traditional house contained public rooms located on the first floor level, and private spaces on the second floor level. the public living and dining were located on the top floor of the house. during the heurtleys occupancy, the residence underwent major changes, including the additions of screens to the windows on the elevated porch as well as a breakfast room on the main floor. in addition, the “wood room,” as it was known on wright’s original drawing, was converted into a pantry or food storage area. it is thought that the breakfast room addition and wood room conversion were done through frank lloyd wright’s office but the dates remain unconfirmed. in 1920 the house was purchased by frank lloyd wright’s sister, jane porter, and her husband, andrew. they converted the home into a duplex in the 1930’s and each floor was separated into apartments. the porters stayed in the heurtley house for 26 years. after the porters left the house, two other owners altered the home further. the kitchens and bathrooms were modernized, the front loggia enclosed and a black iron gate was added to the home’s entryway. a master bathroom was added in the last fifteen feet of the main floor veranda and the living room inglenook and dining room breakfront were removed. a second chimney and a furnace were also added. between 1997 and 2002, the owners of the house spent 1.2 million dollars on a complete restoration of the building.