A Flossmoor house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright will open to the public Saturday, Oct. 11, to raise money for the historical society.
Wright designed many buildings in Chicago and the surrounding areas, but the Frederick Nichols House’s location makes it noteworthy.
“It’s the only one in the southern suburbs,” said Deborah Okleshen, a board member of The Foundation for the Preservation of Flossmoor History. “You will not get close to anything until Oak Park.”
The building is named after its first owner, Frederick Nichols, who was the superintendent of the Bitter Root Valley Irrigation Company. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy describes the house as “a summer getaway where Nichols could enjoy uninterrupted golf.”
Andrea Nelson is the fourth owner of the house, which was originally built in 1906. Nelson, who is retired, grew up in Flossmoor. She lived and worked in Chicago, but moved back to the suburbs in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I felt like I couldn’t breathe,” Nelson said. “We were all so packed in, in the city.”
The house originated from a competition in the Ladies’ Home Journal for architects to create a house that could be built for $5,000, Nelson said. $5,000 in 1906 would be more than $160,000 today.
The layout of the Nichols house is similar to the plans for “A Fireproof House for $5,000” that Wright published in the journal in 1907.
“[Wright] was very interested in making nice houses that people could afford,” Nelson said. “And although we don’t necessarily look at this as being modern, it was ultra-modern in those days.”
For example, Nelson said, the house was wired for electricity when it was built, even though there was no consistent electrical utility. The floor plan is also very open, as opposed to the smaller, more closed-off rooms that were typical of the time.
“This house represented a whole new way of thinking about homes,” Nelson said. “It was the beginning of something really huge.”
The house predates Flossmoor’s 1924 incorporation by nearly 20 years. At the time it was built, Flossmoor was a leisure community with multiple golf clubs where businessmen like Nichols owned second homes and traveled for vacations.
Nelson said the house has been significantly expanded and renovated since its original construction, as it was converted from a vacation home into a primary residence by its second owners, the Evans family.
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At the same time, Flossmoor was taking on its own life and identity as a place people lived, rather than just a vacation town.
Every owner of the house after the first has renovated it in some way, Nelson said.
“This house evolved as Flossmoor evolved,” Nelson said. “They are like hand in hand.”
Through the years and many changes, there have also been efforts to preserve the original spirit of the house. During one major expansion, all the original windows were preserved and re-used.
Nelson has also made the house her own, redecorating it with collected art and inherited antiques. The house is full of paintings, and the shelves are stacked with china.
“The house became a place for all my family’s antiques as well as all the other stuff that I’ve collected over the years, as well as art,” Nelson said.
“I remember going to look at some other houses with her, and she goes, ‘Where would I put my grandmother’s cabinet?'” said JoAnn Rockman, a friend of Nelson’s and co-chair of The Foundation for the Preservation of Flossmoor History.
Nelson’s brother is an architect, and she said a passion for architecture runs in her family.
“Always, we liked architecture,” Nelson said. “Fascinated by it, always.”
Flossmoor had its centennial last year. The purpose of Saturday’s tour is to raise money for The Foundation for the Preservation of Flossmoor History, which is working on renovating a different historical building donated by local businessman Alvin Wagner.
The Wagner Building is the oldest commercial building in Flossmoor. Once renovations are complete, it will be the foundation’s home.
“I’ve lived in Flossmoor on and off my whole life. I believe in my community. And I saw a mission here,” Okleshen said. “The history is amazing.”
Other events organized by the foundation include tours of other historic buildings and, earlier this year, a celebration of famous Flossmoor residents.
After the Saturday event, Nelson doesn’t plan on opening the house for tours again.
“It’s my last hurrah. I used to do huge fundraisers,” Nelson said. “This is definitely my last one.”
“It’s once in a lifetime,” Okleshen said.
Frederick Nichols House tour
Where: 1136 Brassie Ave., Flossmoor
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11
Tickets: $30
Information: www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/frank-lloyd-wright-home-tour