Jump to content

Kraus House: Difference between revisions

Add links
Coordinates: 38°34′57.43″N 90°26′32.38″W / 38.5826194°N 90.4423278°W / 38.5826194; -90.4423278
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m copyedit, already indirectly in category, refine cat, and AWB general fixes using AWB
Jmc734 (talk | contribs)
15 edits
Personal use photos are allowed inside the home
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
 
(22 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Historic house in Missouri, United States}}
{{NRIS-only|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox NRHP
{{Infobox NRHP
| name =Russell and Ruth Goetz Kraus House
| name = Russell and Ruth Goetz Kraus House
| nrhp_type =
| nrhp_type =
| image =
| image = FLW Krauss House.jpg
| caption =
| caption =
| locmapin = Missouri
| locmapin = Missouri#USA
| coordinates = {{coord|38|34|57.43|N|90|26|32.38|W|display=inline,title}}
| lat_degrees = 38
⚫
| location = 120 N. Ballas Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122
| lat_minutes = 34
| area = {{convert|10.45|acre|ha}}<ref name=nrhpdoc/>
| lat_seconds = 57.43
⚫
| built = 1952
| lat_direction = N
⚫
| architect = [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]
| long_degrees = 90
| builder = Lee Patterson
| long_minutes = 26
⚫
| architecture = Modern Movement, [[Usonian]]
| long_seconds = 32.38
⚫
| added = January 31, 1997
| long_direction = W
⚫
| refnum = 96001595 <ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
⚫
| location= 120 N. Ballas RD Kirkwood, MO 63122
| area =
⚫
| built =1952
⚫
| architect= [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]; Patterson, Lee
⚫
| architecture= Modern Movement, [[Usonian]]
⚫
| added = January 31, 1997
| governing_body = Private
⚫
| refnum=96001595 <ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
}}
}}
⚫
The '''Kraus House''', also known as the '''Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park''', is a house in [[Kirkwood, Missouri]] designed by [[architect]] [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]. The brick and cypress house was designed and constructed for Russell and Ruth Goetz Kraus,<ref name=nrhpdoc/> and the initial design was conceived in 1950. Construction continued until at least 1960 and was never formally completed. The owners lived in the house for about 40 years (Ruth died in 1992).


The house features parallelograms; indeed, the only right angles to be found in the house are located in the bathroom. Even the bed is a parallelogram and sheets must be custom made. The house itself sits on a parallelogram blueprint. The house features a carport, attached shed, and a workroom for Kraus, a glass work artist. Kraus heard of Wright's work and was so excited at the thought of living in a work of art himself, he wrote to Wright, who sent him the plans for his 'little house'.
⚫
The '''Kraus House''', also known as the '''Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park''', is a house in [[Kirkwood, Missouri]] designed by [[architect]] [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]. The house was designed and constructed for Russell and Ruth Goetz Kraus, and the initial design was conceived in 1950. Construction continued until at least 1960 and was never formally completed. The owners lived in the house for about 40 years (Ruth died in 1992).


Before it was built, numerous contractors declined the job as too difficult to construct. Its angles required custom bricks to be made. It was built by a young former [[Seabee]] named Lee Patterson.<ref name=nrhpdoc/>
⚫
In 1997, the house was recognized with listing on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] of the [[National Park Service]]. Russell Kraus sold the house in 2001 to a non-profit organization formed for the specific purpose of saving it. Title was subsequently transferred to the [[St. Louis County, Missouri|St. Louis County]] Parks Department, which maintains the {{convert|10.5|acre|m2|sing=on}} grounds as Ebsworth Park. The house and park are open to the public by appointment only. Tours are available for a small fee and do not allow pictures to be taken inside the house.

⚫
In 1997, the house was recognized with listing on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] of the [[National Park Service]]. Russell Kraus sold the house in 2001 to a non-profit organization formed for the specific purpose of saving it. The title was subsequently transferred to the [[St. Louis County, Missouri|St. Louis County]] Parks and Recreation Department, which maintains the {{convert|10.5|acre|m2|adj=on}} grounds as Ebsworth Park. The house and park are open to the public by appointment only. Tours are available for a small fee.

It is located in a "tract of woods and rolling meadowland located on the east side of Ballas Road (120 North Ballas), south of
Dougherty Ferry Road at the west edge of Kirkwood, Missouri, a suburban municipality near St. Louis. The house is reached by an 800-foot-long private driveway, which crosses a small branch of Sugar Creek across a small bridge, a non-contributing structure, then winds up a hillside through a deciduous woods. Just short of the crest of the hill, the woods give way to meadow, revealing this unusual house, sitting in the center of a grove of tall, slender [[persimmon]] trees. The house, though modest in size, is a masterpiece of geometric design, in Wright's unique style, using the 60-degree/120-degree parallelogram as the design motif."<ref name=nrhpdoc>{{cite report|type=none|url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63820272 |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: Kraus, Russell and Ruth Goetz, House|access-date=April 10, 2023|author=Esley Hamilton |date=September 30, 1996 }}</ref>

As of 1996 the house's cedar roof shakes roof had been replaced by asphalt shingles, and there was a problem of [[spalling]] of bricks: "The spalling problems seem to have been due to the nature of the brick, which is unusually hard and dense. The brick is laid in Wrightian fashion, with the vertical joints flush and the horizontal joints deeply raked to accentuate the horizontal lines of the single-story building, with its wide roof overhangs and extended cantilevers."<ref name=nrhpdoc/>

==See also==
*[[List of Frank Lloyd Wright works]]
*[[Parks in Greater St. Louis]]


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
* Storrer, William Allin. ''The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion''. University Of Chicago Press, 2006, {{ISBN|0-226-77621-2}} (S.340)


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.ebsworthpark.org/ Official Web Page]
*[http://www.franklloydwright.org Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation]
*[http://www.ebsworthpark.org/ Official web page]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140604215218/http://www.franklloydwright.org/ Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation]
*[http://www.wrightplus.org Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust]
*[http://www.wrightplus.org Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust]
*[http://www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/96001595.pdf NPS Form 10-900 for this structure]
*[http://www.dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/96001595.pdf NPS Form 10-900 for this structure]
*[http://drpanorama.HotSpotReports.com/PanoPage.aspx?TourID=761 External 360 Degree Virtual Tour] of the Kraus House.


{{Registered Historic Places}}
{{Registered Historic Places}}
{{St. Louis mci}}
{{St. Louis mci}}
{{Frank Lloyd Wright}}
{{Frank Lloyd Wright}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Frank Lloyd Wright buildings]]
[[Category:Frank Lloyd Wright buildings]]
Line 48: Line 55:
[[Category:Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri]]
[[Category:Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri]]
[[Category:Houses in St. Louis County, Missouri]]
[[Category:Houses in St. Louis County, Missouri]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis County, Missouri]]
[[Category:1952 establishments in Missouri]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in St. Louis]]




{{Missouri-museum-stub}}
{{Missouri-museum-stub}}
{{Missouri-NRHP-stub}}
{{StLouisCountyMO-NRHP-stub}}

Latest revision as of 17:44, 23 December 2023

Russell and Ruth Goetz Kraus House
Kraus House is located in Missouri
Kraus House
Kraus House is located in the United States
Kraus House
Location120 N. Ballas Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122
Coordinates38°34′57.43″N 90°26′32.38″W / 38.5826194°N 90.4423278°W / 38.5826194; -90.4423278
Area10.45 acres (4.23 ha)[2]
Built1952
Built byLee Patterson
ArchitectFrank Lloyd Wright
Architectural styleModern Movement, Usonian
NRHP reference No.96001595 [1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 31, 1997

The Kraus House, also known as the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park, is a house in Kirkwood, Missouri designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The brick and cypress house was designed and constructed for Russell and Ruth Goetz Kraus,[2] and the initial design was conceived in 1950. Construction continued until at least 1960 and was never formally completed. The owners lived in the house for about 40 years (Ruth died in 1992).

The house features parallelograms; indeed, the only right angles to be found in the house are located in the bathroom. Even the bed is a parallelogram and sheets must be custom made. The house itself sits on a parallelogram blueprint. The house features a carport, attached shed, and a workroom for Kraus, a glass work artist. Kraus heard of Wright's work and was so excited at the thought of living in a work of art himself, he wrote to Wright, who sent him the plans for his 'little house'.

Before it was built, numerous contractors declined the job as too difficult to construct. Its angles required custom bricks to be made. It was built by a young former Seabee named Lee Patterson.[2]

In 1997, the house was recognized with listing on the National Register of Historic Places of the National Park Service. Russell Kraus sold the house in 2001 to a non-profit organization formed for the specific purpose of saving it. The title was subsequently transferred to the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Department, which maintains the 10.5-acre (42,000 m2) grounds as Ebsworth Park. The house and park are open to the public by appointment only. Tours are available for a small fee.

It is located in a "tract of woods and rolling meadowland located on the east side of Ballas Road (120 North Ballas), south of Dougherty Ferry Road at the west edge of Kirkwood, Missouri, a suburban municipality near St. Louis. The house is reached by an 800-foot-long private driveway, which crosses a small branch of Sugar Creek across a small bridge, a non-contributing structure, then winds up a hillside through a deciduous woods. Just short of the crest of the hill, the woods give way to meadow, revealing this unusual house, sitting in the center of a grove of tall, slender persimmon trees. The house, though modest in size, is a masterpiece of geometric design, in Wright's unique style, using the 60-degree/120-degree parallelogram as the design motif."[2]

As of 1996 the house's cedar roof shakes roof had been replaced by asphalt shingles, and there was a problem of spalling of bricks: "The spalling problems seem to have been due to the nature of the brick, which is unusually hard and dense. The brick is laid in Wrightian fashion, with the vertical joints flush and the horizontal joints deeply raked to accentuate the horizontal lines of the single-story building, with its wide roof overhangs and extended cantilevers."[2]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e Esley Hamilton (September 30, 1996). National Register of Historic Places Registration: Kraus, Russell and Ruth Goetz, House. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  • Storrer, William Allin. The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion. University Of Chicago Press, 2006, ISBN 0-226-77621-2 (S.340)
[edit]

Media related to Kraus House at Wikimedia Commons


Stub icon

This Missouri museum-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article about a property in St. Louis County, Missouri on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Kraus_House&oldid=1191457253"