Two Michigan homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright – widely considered the greatest American architect of all time – have gone up for sale under one listing for $4.5 million.
The offering is the first of its kind as never before have two adjacent Wright-designed homes been offered together in one sale.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Eppstein House and the Pratt House in 1948, located at 11090 and 11036 Hawthorne Dr. in Galesburg.
Both homes feature Wright’s signature red floors, large windows and wooden built-ins.
They are part of “The Acres,” a 70-acre community that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Called ‘Usonian homes’, they embody Wright’s concept for a simple, stylish home designed for middle-class families.
The $4.5 million listing for two homes designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright is the first in history
Never before have two of his homes – like this pair of homes in the historic community of The Acres – been offered for sale together
Each home measures approximately 2,200 square feet and features features such as Wright’s signature red floors, large windows and wood built-ins
Both houses have retained their original size or building footprint, unlike most other houses designed by the architect.
“These homes are historic works of art,” the ad reads.
‘They illustrate Wright’s signature design principles, where nature, form and function flow seamlessly together.’
The bright Eppstein House dates from 1953. The low ceilings and large windows are designed to seamlessly integrate the living space into nature.
A 3-meter-high glass facade, from floor to ceiling, opens onto a terrace overlooking a flowering meadow. Two other terraces flank the house.
The interior consists of two cozy living areas, each with a fireplace and built-in furniture designed by the architect himself.
Three large bedrooms are tucked away in the outer berm, which is built into the ground. Outside, concrete and mahogany details have been carefully restored.
The two houses are connected by meadows.
Built in 1951, the Pratt House features an open floor plan and a restored mahogany exterior.
The 2,200-square-foot home features two bedrooms and two bathrooms, all on one level.
It features a library and a larger entertainment room, complete with 10-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and a fireplace.
As with the neighboring house, the expansive windows and glass doors blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor space.
Next to the main house there is a large office that once served as a pottery workshop.
The Epstein house has low ceilings and large windows
It features two comfortable living areas, each with a functional fireplace
A floor-to-ceiling glass facade opens onto a terrace overlooking a meadow
Three large bedrooms are hidden in the outer verge of the house
The built-in wooden furniture was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself
Concrete and mahogany details outside the house have been carefully restored by the most recent owners
In 1947, researchers from the Upjohn pharmaceutical company in Kalamazoo attempted to establish a modern community with affordable housing.
The Eppstein and Pratt homes are named after their original owners – Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein and Eric and Patricia Pratt – who built under Wright’s supervision.
Dorothy Eppstein died in 2010. After earning a degree in chemistry from Michigan State University, she became a research secretary at Upjohn before volunteering for the Women Airforce Service Pilots in 1943.
She and Samuel, a research scientist, built their house from scratch, with Dorothy laying concrete blocks while she was pregnant.
Eric Pratt died in 2011, while Patricia died in 2019. The couple met while attending Kalamazoo College.
They raised four children in their home in The Acres.
In 2021, Marika Broere and her husband Tony Hillebrandt – a Dutch couple currently living in Toronto – completed an extensive restoration of the property.
The couple was originally looking for a weekend getaway when they came across the Eppstein House and began its restorations after purchasing it in 2016.
They snapped up the adjacent house as soon as it went up for sale and completed all the restorations in five years.
The Pratt House is named after Eric and Patricia Pratt, who asked Wright to design their home in 1947
The living space has an open floor plan and mahogany interior
The house has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, spread over one level
It has a library/music room and a larger entertainment room with 10-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and a fireplace
The large windows and glass doors are intended to blur the boundaries between inside and outside
The house also features a large disjointed workshop that once served as a pottery workshop
“Both homes embody the timeless elegance of Wright’s vision, with every detail carefully designed to create an atmosphere of tranquility and beauty,” the listing said.
“There are endless possibilities: a private home, a multi-generational complex or an unparalleled investment opportunity.”
The property is conveniently located halfway between Detroit and Chicago.
Broker Fred Taber, of Jaqua Realtors in Portage, is the listing agent with Victoria Krause Schutte for @properties Christie’s International Real Estate in Oak Park.
Wright is often regarded as one of the greatest American architects of all time. He died in 1959 at the age of 91.
His portfolio includes 1,100 designs and more than 500 projects.
Eight of Wright’s buildings have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as cultural sites, and more than a third of Wright’s remaining structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or are located in a National Historic District.
One of his most famous creations is the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, which opened in 1959 as a structure “of monumental dignity and great beauty,” in Wright’s own words.
Another important property is the architect’s winter home, Talesian West in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Tucked in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains, it is now home to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the School of Architecture at Taliesin.