Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Wright Fans: How increased awareness of some FLW sites might save others!


As a Frank Lloyd Wright fan, you may have already heard that some of Wright’s sites were recently designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.  As a fellow Wright enthusiast, webmaster for www.FrankLloydWrightSites.com and a participant in the Coursera Northwestern University Social Marketing Program, I have found two articles that explain why Wright’s work is so important to our culture and how increased awareness may help save some Wright-designed structures.

In a Curbed article titled “Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple, RobieHouse named UNESCO World Heritage Sites", author Jay Kozlarz discusses the eight buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that were recently added to the World Heritage Site list.  This designation puts Wright’s designs among the world's greatest structures such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  While this article focuses on the two Chicago area sites, a complete list of the FLW Sites on the World Heritage List can be found at bit.ly/UNESCO8

The Frederick C. Robie House - Chicago, Illinois
While the UNESCO sites are receiving much fanfare, another article in The Architect’s Newspaper discusses what fate might await a lesser known Wright-designed site.  Jonathan Hilburg, author of “Frank Lloyd Wright cabin outside of Chicago faces demolition” explains that the new owners of the Booth Cottage in Glencoe, Illinois have recently filed for a demolition permit.

Even though many of Wright's sites are protected and safe from demolition, by increasing awareness of Wright's designs, we can help to prevent any additional structures from being destroyed.  Drawing on these two articles and my own experiences traveling to various Wright sites around the country, below are 3 actions you can take to help preserve Wright sites for future generations. 

  1. Visit –By visiting and touring Wright sites, you help to contribute to the cost of maintaining Wright structures. View all Wright sites.
  2. Contribute – Consider joining one of the many Wright non-profits to help support their financial goals.  The FLW Trust offers various membership options and comes with many reciprocal benefits at other sites. flwright.org/joingive
  3. Share– Your knowledge, passion and experience are valuable!  Share it with others by posting reviews of FLW sites online, volunteering as a docent or in some other capacity that can help others appreciate these designs.
Your help is needed!  Consider supporting Wright structures for the future by actively participating in one of the ways mentioned above.  If you are considering helping in some way, please comment on this article and let us know.

My name is Yvonne Carpenter and I am currently a participant of the Social Marketing Specialization at Northwestern University offered through Coursera.  I am co-owner of Northern Sky Designs, LLC, a company (est. in 1998) that specializes in website design and social media management for small businesses.  FrankLloydWrightSites.com is a website that is owned and managed by Northern Sky Designs and provides information about Wright-designed sites around the country. Feel free to reach out or contact me on Twitter @FLWsites or on LinkedIn.

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