The Frederick C. House, located at 5757 S. Woodlawn Avenue in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood is a National Historic Landmark and regarded as one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most significant Prairie style houses. Completed in 1910 for Frederick C. Robie and his family, the building is Wright’s quintessential Prairie style house featuring rich brown Roman brick walls with limestone trim, low-sloping hip roofs with wide overhanging eaves, and bands of decorative art glass doors and windows. Over the years the house has endured multiple owners, renovations, and uses, as well as more than one threat of demolition. In 1997, operations and maintenance of the house was turned over to the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. Since that time, the Trust has raised money for restoration work and conducted tours of the house.

robie house

Photos by James Caulfield

In 2012, Harboe Architects was asked to create a Restoration Work Plan to outline the previous work and develop a plan to successfully complete the restoration of the Robie House. While the previous studies and restoration projects that have been undertaken to date have facilitated the long term preservation of the house, additional work is necessary to bring the house to the level of completion desired by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. In 2014, Harboe Architects prepared construction documents for the interior and exterior restoration of Robie House.  Phase 1 of the restoration began in 2017 which included the interior restoration of the Entry Hall, Billiard Room, Main Stair, Upper Entry and Living Room.  Phase 2 of the restoration began in the summer of 2018 which included the interior restoration of the Playroom, Servant's Stair, Guest Bedroom, and Dining Room.  

Project Information