Laurent House Foundation becomes official owner of Rockford’s Frank Lloyd Wright home

The Laurent House, 4646 Spring Brook Road, Rockford.

Online Staff Report

The Laurent House Foundation closed on the Laurent House, 4646 Spring Brook Road, Rockford, and its original Frank Lloyd Wright furnishings Thursday, Feb. 16.

Jerry Heinzeroth, president of the foundation’s board of directors, said: “Now that the foundation has official ownership of the home, we are able to move forward with the necessary preservation and restoration work that will return the house to its original condition and ensure it can be enjoyed by the public for years to come.”

The foundation will continue with its planned steps for converting the residence into a museum and visitor attraction. To help determine what features need to be restored and preserved, the foundation and its partners are reviewing original plans and drawings with the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, an advocacy group focused on saving and preserving Wright-designed structures. Structurally, minor masonry and roof repairs are needed. To bring the home back to its original state, some interior modifications will be made to fabrics and upholstery.

The foundation is also in the process of applying for federal 501(c)(3) status, as well as federal and local historic status for the home.

The Laurent House was secured by the foundation at a public auction Dec. 15, 2011. Called the Laurent House, this one-of-a-kind residence was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1949 for Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent, and is the first and only home he ever created for a disabled person’s use and comfort.

Gifts to the Laurent House Foundation can be made at www.cfnil.org. Information about the house is available by calling (815) 489-1678 or by e-mailing info@laurenthouse.com.

Posted Feb. 22, 2012

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