Oak Park’s famous housewalk, Wright Plus, returns Saturday, May 17. The walk, which showcases homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his contemporaries, is returning to south Oak Park for the first time since 1997.
“We’re very excited to showcase these homes that a lot of our typical guests haven’t had the chance to see,” said Christine Trevino, digital communications manager with the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.
Trevino also said that the entrance to the Unity Temple will be included as part of the walk.
“This is a great way for guests to start their day before heading out to see the houses,” she said.
Unity Temple hours will be limited to Saturday morning.
This year’s walk includes three homes designed by Wright. The Harry and Louisa Goodrich House was designed in 1896. Wright remodeled the house in 1908. The current owners have completed a painstaking restoration of the home, which garnered them a village Historic Preservation Award in 2015.
The William E. and Winifred Martin House was designed by Wright in 1903 for the president of the Martin and Martin Stove Polish Company. Wright later designed a home for William’s brother Darwin Martin and the headquarters for his new company, the Larkin Company, in Buffalo, NY.
William E. and Winifred Martin House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1903) | Frank Lloyd Wright Trust/James Caulfield 
Harry C. and Louisa Goodrich House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1896) | Frank Lloyd Wright Trust/James Caulfield 
George W. and Lucy Smith I House (1894) | Frank Lloyd Wright Trust/James Caulfield 
Sanford S. and Grace Vaughan House (E.E. Roberts, 1898) | Frank Lloyd Wright Trust/James Caulfield
Appearing for the first time on Wright Plus is the George and Lucy Smith II House, designed by Wright in 1898. The Shingle-style home, which Wednesday Journal featured in August (https://ow.ly/iV8x50UCfaw) has recently been restored.
Trevino said she thinks there will be a lot of interest in the Shingle style house.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had a Wright home that’s never been on the walk before,” she said. “There’s huge interest in seeing the house, and the owners have just done an incredible job with it.”
Also new to Wright Plus is the Samford S. and Grace Vaughn House. It is next door to the George Smith II house and was designed by E. E. Roberts in 1898.
Trevino said that the Vaughn house also was recently renovated.
“It’s very interesting to have two homes with recent restorations right next to each other. It’s really fun to see the pair and see what it’s like to renovate historic homes like these.”
Two other homes are also new to Wright Plus. The E.E. and Ina Andrews House was designed by Charles E. White Jr. in 1905 in a style influenced by the Prairie style.
The John and Anna Shapcott/ John and Margaret Coumbe House was designed by E.E. Roberts in 1905, and legend has it that John and Anna Shapcott gifted the home to their daughter Margaret when she married John Coumbe.
Frank Lloyd Wright Trust/James Caulfield 
Vernon W. and Mary Skiff House (Nimmons and Fellows, 1909) | Frank Lloyd Wright Trust/James Caulfield 
John and Annie Shapcott/John and Margaret Coumbe House (E.E. Roberts, 1905) | Frank Lloyd Wright Trust/James Caulfield 
Frank Lloyd Wright Trust/James Caulfield George W. and Lucy Smith II House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1898) | Frank Lloyd Wright Trust/James Caulfield
The walk is rounded out with two more homes: the Vernon W. and Mary Skiff House designed by Nimmons & Fellows in 1909 and the George W. and Lucy Smith I House, built in 1894.
Trevino pointed out that the George Smith I House was the house that last brought Wright Plus to South Oak Park in 1997. The researcher for that home is working on discovering more details about the home’s architectural provenance.
“Research methods have improved,” Trevino said, noting that in the almost 30 years since the home was last on Wright Plus, there are many new methods available for Trust researchers and their sources, like the Oak Park and River Forest History Museum.
“There’s always something new to discover about these homes,” she said, adding that Wright Plus researchers always ask the homeowners if there is something particular that they’d like to know about their home’s history.
Every year, guests travel from other states and other countries to attend Wright Plus, and Trevino said that a lot of visitors are local, too. For locals who might have glimpsed renovations and restorations while driving or walking by local homes, Wright Plus can be the perfect time to see inside an architecturally-significant home.
“Were you curious about what was going on inside? Now’s the time.” she said.
Want to get involved?
The Trust relies on hundreds of volunteers to make the Wright Plus weekend run smoothly. If you’d like to get involved, Trevino said that there are many volunteer opportunities. A survey gauging interest will be sent out in March, and those who are interested can sign up at the Wright Plus volunteer page: https://flwright.org/support/volunteer-opportunities
Ticket and packages
Tickets for Wright Plus are available now at: https://flwright.org/wright-plus.
General tickets are $130 or $95 for trust members. A limited number of Fast Pass tickets are available for $600 or $565 for Trust members. Fast pass ticket holders are given priority access to houses the day of the walk.
For those looking for a fuller experience, there are two packages available. Ultimate Saturday tickets for $1,375 or $1,225 for trust members let ticket holders enjoy an entire day. Ultimate Saturday ticketholders receive fast-pass entry to the homes on the walk, a lunch at the Nineteenth Century Club in Oak Park and a dinner in an architecturally-significant home catered by an acclaimed chef.
Ultimate Plus Weekend packages are available for $2,675 or $2,525 for trust members. These packages include all of the perks of the Ultimate Saturday tickets, a Friday excursion to tour the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed F.B. Henderson House in Elmhurst and the Walter Burley Griffin-designed William H. Emery House, as well as a private tour of the Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook. The package also includes hotel accommodations and breakfast on Sunday following the walk.