Of the over 425 homes, commercial buildings and other works Frank Lloyd Wright has designed, residences are located in at least 38 states (including Hawaii). One of those residences – the Kraus House – is located in the idyllic city of Kirkwood, Missouri. About 15 minutes from downtown St. Louis, the city is named for James P. Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad that passed through that city back in the early 1850s.
First On the Block
Only five Wright designs exist in the state of Missouri, but the one for Russell and Ruth Kraus in Kirkwood was the first in the St. Louis area. Designed in 1950 – near the end of both Wright’s career and life – the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park is sited on about 10.5 acres; the 1900 sq. ft. Usonian floor plan is just less than .3 miles from I-270, and east of North Ballas Road.
Kraus House Features
Based on an equilateral parallelogram, the home is typical of Wright’s Usonian style, having an open living area, central hearth fireplace, concrete slab floors with radiant heat, and glass doors that afford excellent views of the surrounding landscape. The basic building materials are used both inside and out, and consist of brick, concrete, glass, and tidewater red cypress. Russell Kraus, himself a trained mosaic and stained-glass artist, designed the stained-glass doors to the main entrance.
Mr. & Mrs. Kraus moved into the house in 1956 and lived there together until Ruth’s death in 1992. A non-profit organization purchased the house and grounds in 2001, later completing restoration of the brick, woodwork, furniture, and textiles in the home. Docent-led tours of the Tours of the FLWHEP – Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park – (the Krauses’ “Little Gem”) are available year-round.
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Location
120 North Ballas Road, Kirkwood St Louis, MO 63122
314-822-8359
Tours
Guided tours are available year-round and can be booked online at EbsworthPark.org
tours@ebsworthpark.org
Related Products & Links:
The Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park: The Kraus House
William Adair Bernoudy Architect: Bringing the Legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright to St. Louis (Volume 1)