Laurent House listed on National Register of Historic Places, museum to open June 8, 2013

Online Staff Report

The Laurent House Foundation has announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior has named the Laurent House in Rockford to the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, an opening date for the museum has been set. The home will open as a museum June 8, 2013 — Frank Lloyd Wright’s 146th birthday.

“We are thrilled by the decision to add the Laurent House to our nation’s list of historic places,” said Laurent House Foundation Board President Jerry Heinzeroth. “This underscores the home’s significance as a unique and important piece of our nation’s history and heritage. Mr. Wright lovingly called the home his ‘little gem’; we are humbled that the Department of Interior sees that it is fitting and proper to preserve this gem for future generations. Additionally, the board would like to express its gratitude to Pam Hein, a local historic preservation advocate and expert, for her leadership and thoroughness in preparing and submitting our application to the Department of the Interior.”

The Laurent House is at 4646 Spring Brook Road, Rockford. Details related to the opening events for the museum will be announced in the coming months.

The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council unanimously recommended the property for listing on the National Register in July. The recommendations were forwarded to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency; Agency Director Amy Martin concurred and sent the nominations to the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., for a final determination.

The 1949 Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Mr. Laurent was a World War II veteran who used a wheelchair. The Laurent House was the only structure Wright specifically designed for an individual with a disability. Of more than 1,000 designs, Wright considered the home to be one of the 35 most important works of his career. The Laurents lived in the home until earlier this year. The Laurent House Foundation acquired the house and FLW furnishings.

The Foundation will continue with its planned steps for converting the residence into a museum and visitor attraction. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation’s historic places of preservation.

For more information, contact Heinzeroth at (815) 637-1167.

Posted Oct. 18, 2012