Built in 1910, the “Prairie Style” Zeigler house — also known as the “Fireproof House for $5,000” — is the only Frank Lloyd Wright structure in the state of Kentucky. Although it is a Wright design, the plans for it were actually drawn up in Chicago while Wright himself was in Europe. Construction of the home was architecturally unsupervised, yet the plans are relatively detailed.
A Chance Meeting
From the marker in the front of the home:
“The design for this house came from a chance shipboard meeting in 1910 of Rev. Zeigler of this city with Frank Lloyd Wright, the internationally known architect. The Presbyterian minister had local contractor Scott begin construction that year. This is an example of Wright’s “prairie house,” utilizing open floor plans. See over.“
(Reverse) “Frank Lloyd Wright, (1869-1959) – Famous primarily as a residence architect, Wright also planned many impressive public structures, including the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo and Guggenheim Museum in New York City. This is the only building of his design erected in Ky. during his lifetime. House was listed on National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Over.“
Location
509 Shelby Street, Frankfort, Kentucky
Tours
This house is privately owned and not available for tours.
Resources & Links
Historical Marker Database Search, Kentucky Historical Society, Marker 1726
Frankfort Public Art Tour, Stop #12
On the Bourbon Trail, by Richard Ross & Yvonne Carpenter-Ross. Includes stops at the Zeigler House, Daniel Boone’s gravesite and the Buffalo Trace Distillery
If you happen to be in Frankfort to visit the Zeigler House, no stop would be complete without seeing some sites like Daniel Boone’s gravesite, the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial and a tour through Buffalo Trace Distillery. Read more about a week-long excursion through Kentucky and the Bourbon Trail at OntheLake.net!
