A Taste of the 20th Century
Travel from 1855 to 1955 in this mid-century modern room inspired by one of Dawn Manor’s most famous visitors. A Wisconsin native and visionary architect, Frank Lloyd Wright helped shape American design.
About Frank Lloyd Wright
Widely considered the greatest American architect of all time, Frank Lloyd Wright designed over 1,000 structures over the course of his career and was a pioneer of organic architecture and the Prairie School movement. Wright was a Wisconsin native and maintained close ties with the area throughout his life.
Frank Lloyd Wright and Dawn Manor
Frank Lloyd Wright’s connection to Dawn Manor began in the 1920s and 30s when the manor was owned by William J. Newman. Newman worked in demolition in Chicago and had demolished some famous buildings that Frank Lloyd Wright had designed, such as Midway Gardens. As a marketing tactic to attract Chicago tourists, Newman placed some recognizable pieces from those buildings on the Dawn Manor property where he was building a resort.
In the 1940s, when Dawn Manor was owned by Helen Raab, Frank Lloyd Wright discovered the pieces were there and visited the manor to retrieve them. Helen Raab sold some of the pieces back to Wright and their mutual love and interest in the arts led them to continue an ongoing friendship. Wright even gifted Helen with Japanese prints he received after designing the Imperial Hotel in Japan. Helen also became close with Wright’s wife, Miriam Noel Wright.
Frank Lloyd Wright would visit Dawn Manor a number of times over the years, including the historical marker dedication ceremony on the manor’s 100th anniversary in 1955.
Frank Lloyd Wright Room Features
Seats 24 guests at multiple tables
Located on the main level
Gas fireplace
Available for private events or group reservations
Frank Lloyd Wright Room Art and Displays
Here you will find a recognition of Wright’s Fallingwater and his Midway Gardens building, which was deconstructed by William J. Newman and pieces taken to adorn Dawn Manor.
There is also a photo of several large Japanese prints that Wright received for his work on the Imperial Hotel in Japan and given to Helen Raab by his former wife Miriam Noel Wright.
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The other notable photo in this room is the group on the launch “Dawn” showing Frank Lloyd Wright, Dudley Watson of the Art Institute of Chicago, Helen Raab, and the excavator of Lake Delton, Ralph Hines who all were visiting Dawn Manor for the 1955 dedication of the state historical marker.
The candelabras on the fireplace mantle, a gift from Frank Lloyd Wright to Helen Raab, are original pieces from the old mansion.
Finally, the row of miniature sprites lining the sidewalk up to the entrance of Dawn Manor were conceived by Frank Lloyd Wright and represent the larger scale sprite statues that formerly stood on the old mansion property. It may have been Frank Lloyd Wright’s search to recover these creations that initially brought him to Dawn Manor, and to begin an acquaintance and friendship with Helen Raab.
