The Robert G. Emmond House, built in 1892, is one of the more elaborate examples of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Bootleg Houses.” Located in La Grange, Illinois, it was designed in secret while Wright was still employed as a draftsman for Adler & Sullivan.
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A Bridge Between Styles
The Emmond House shows Wright in a state of transition. While it retains the towers and irregular shapes of the Queen Anne style popular at the time, it also shows Wright’s early interest in geometric simplification.
Key architectural features include:
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Octagonal Turrets: Similar to the Parker and Gale houses in Oak Park, the design features bold octagonal bays. However, the Emmond House is larger and more sprawling than its Oak Park counterparts.
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The Full-Width Porch: A deep, arched porch anchors the house, providing a strong horizontal line—a design element Wright would eventually master in his Prairie Style homes.
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Restoration: The house underwent a significant restoration in the early 2000s to reverse 20th-century alterations. This project stripped away later brickwork to reveal the original narrow clapboard siding, earning the project a Wright Spirit Award.
The interior still contains original leaded glass windows and intricate oak woodwork, offering a glimpse into how Wright was already manipulating light and space early in his career.
Plan Your Visit
Location 📍
The Robert G. Emmond House is located in La Grange, Illinois. It is the most prominent of a small cluster of Wright-related sites in this quiet suburb.
Curb-Side Viewing Only 🛑
The Emmond House is a privately owned residence. Please respect the privacy of the homeowners by viewing the house from the public sidewalk.
Tour 🎫
While the house is not open for daily tours, it is a landmark within the La Grange historic district. The La Grange Area Historical Society offers information for self-guided walking tours of the neighborhood, which features several other high-quality Victorian and early modern residences.
Make it a Trip 🧳
To see the “complete picture” of 1892, you have to look at the Emmond house as part of a larger explosion of work. That same year, Wright was also designing houses in Kenwood, the Charnley-Persky House on the Gold Coast, and the Gale and Parker “triplets” in Oak Park.
Additional Resources & Inspired Products
Find unique products, books, and gifts inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright at our Amazon storefront: Wright at Home!