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By 1948, when Robert and Elizabeth Muirhead commissioned this Frank Lloyd
Wright-designed farmhouse, the architect was well into his later Usonian
period. Wright conducted one site visit to walk the property and select an
appropriate location. The final product was a single-story,
3,200-square-foot linear residence arranged in two distinct wings and
connected by a 55-foot enclosed walkway. Although the home has been
continually lived in by Muirhead descendents, aging caretakers and mounting
maintenance issues forced the family to consider their options.
To protect the acreage from future development, the portions of the farmland
were sold to the Kane County Forest Preserve with a conservation easement.
The Muirheads’ granddaughter and her husband took on the task of repairing
the farmhouse’s concrete floor, common brick walls and cantilevered cypress
roof before converting it into a bed and breakfast. The Muirhead Farmhouse
is one of only six Wright properties in the U.S. open to overnight guests.
For a brief video history of the property, go to
www.muirheadfarmhouse.com/history.htm.
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