Laurent House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Laurent House by Frank Lloyd Wright Noted as one of the best examples of Wright's architecture and interior design. When the home was built, the lot was considered on the edge of town.
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Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in Rockford, IL; the only building designed by Wright for a person with a disability and one of only 10 hemicycle Usonian homes. The Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House is a single-story, solar hemicycle Usonian designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1949. The residence is a rare mid-century example of a handicapped accessible home that was designed to be both functional and beautiful. Built of Chicago Common Brick and Red Tidewater Cypress, the house hugs the property and blends flawlessly with its natural landscape. The City of Rockford has since grown to surround the neighborhood, yet the area still retains its rural feel with large wooded lots and curvilinear roads. The home is a fine example of Wright’s Usonian architecture as exemplified by its smaller footprint, slab construction, carport, and outdoor connectivity.

Good food. Great music. A one-of-a-kind Wright experience. And a cause worth celebrating!Our annual fundraiser, “Bourbon...
09/08/2026

Good food. Great music. A one-of-a-kind Wright experience. And a cause worth celebrating!

Our annual fundraiser, “Bourbon, Brisket & Blues: Preserving the Wright House,” is just around the corner! Join us on Saturday, September 12, from 5–8 p.m. for an unforgettable evening on the grounds of the Laurent House — all while helping us preserve Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Little Gem” for generations to come.

Your $100 ticket includes an evening filled with:

🔥 Brisket & sides from Mission Barbeque
🥃 Bourbon and spirits tastings by Artale & Company
🎶 Live blues by Chicago’s BMR4 Blues Machine
🍰 Appetizers & desserts by BD4
🛍️ Silent auction featuring unique items and experiences
🏡 Mini tours of the Laurent House
🥃 Commemorative glass to take home
🍹 Cash bar

Come enjoy an evening of great food, great music and great company — and make a difference in preserving one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most remarkable houses.

Every ticket helps support the continued preservation and stewardship of the Laurent House.

🎟️ Tickets are available online now: https://laurenthouse.com/events/

Space is limited, so don’t wait! Gather your friends, grab your tickets and join us for Bourbon, Brisket & Blues: Preserving the Wright House!

🎉 Happy Birthday, Jean! 🎉Today we’re celebrating Jean Laurent, daughter of Ken and Phyllis Laurent! 💙Wishing Jean a wond...
09/01/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday, Jean! 🎉

Today we’re celebrating Jean Laurent, daughter of Ken and Phyllis Laurent! 💙

Wishing Jean a wonderful birthday filled with joy, laughter, and lots of happy memories! 🥳🎂✨

We had a very special guest last week! Thank you, Ty Pennington, for including a visit to the Laurent House on your road...
08/28/2026

We had a very special guest last week! Thank you, Ty Pennington, for including a visit to the Laurent House on your road trip!

Our annual fundraiser, "Bourbon, Brisket & Blues: Preserving the Wright House," is fast approaching on Saturday evening,...
08/20/2026

Our annual fundraiser, "Bourbon, Brisket & Blues: Preserving the Wright House," is fast approaching on Saturday evening, September 12, from 5 to 8 p.m.!

Join us for this fun event on the grounds of the Laurent House and help raise funds for the continued preservation of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Little Gem." Each $100 ticket includes:

- Brisket with sides from Mission Barbeque
- Tastings by Artale & Company of bourbon and other spirits
- BMR4 Blues Machine of Chicago returns to provide live blues music
- Cash bar, appetizers, and desserts by BD4
- Silent auction with many unique items and experiences
- Mini tours of the Laurent House
- Commemorative glass

Tickets are purchased online at https://laurenthouse.com/events/

Our annual fundraiser, "Bourbon, Brisket & Blues," is just 3 week away on Saturday afternoon, September 12, from 5 to 8 ...
08/19/2026

Our annual fundraiser, "Bourbon, Brisket & Blues," is just 3 week away on Saturday afternoon, September 12, from 5 to 8 p.m.!

Join us for this fun event on the grounds of the Laurent House and help raise funds for the continued preservation of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Little Gem." Each $100 ticket includes:

- Brisket with sides from Mission Barbeque
- Tastings by Artale & Company of bourbon and other spirits
- BMR4 Blues Machine of Chicago returns to provide live blues music
- Cash bar, appetizers, and desserts by BD4
- Silent auction with many unique items and experiences
- Mini tours of the Laurent House
- Commemorative glass

Tickets are purchased online at https://laurenthouse.com/events/

Please note that yesterday there was a scam going through Facebook with individuals selling t-shirts, coffee cups, and h...
08/17/2026

Please note that yesterday there was a scam going through Facebook with individuals selling t-shirts, coffee cups, and hoodies with an image of the Laurent House and our logo. This is a scam. Do not purchase anything from these individuals. Anything that is associated with the Laurent House will be sold directly through our own social media channels and in our museum store.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at a few of the people and stories that will bring the Laurent House to life in an upcoming...
08/16/2026

Get a behind-the-scenes look at a few of the people and stories that will bring the Laurent House to life in an upcoming book by Jane King Hession. The “working title” for the book is: The Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Vision to Better Another Man’s Life. This April, Jane conducted in-depth interviews with several individuals closely connected to the Laurent House as she researches her upcoming book about this remarkable Frank Lloyd Wright home. Here’s an exclusive preview of just a few of the fascinating people whose stories will help bring the Laurent House’s history to life.

Pictured are Frank Lloyd Wright master craftsman Jonathan Leck and architect John Eifler, who led the efforts for the Laurent House’s 2013 restoration project, along with Mary Beth Peterson, who has been involved with the Laurent House since 2014. Mary Beth has served in a variety of capacities, including volunteer and board vice president, and has been executive director since 2023.

Sharing a preview into a few of the people associated with Laurent House whom Jane King Hession interviewed in-depth thi...
08/16/2026

Sharing a preview into a few of the people associated with Laurent House whom Jane King Hession interviewed in-depth this past April for her upcoming book on the Laurent House. The “working title” for the book is: The Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Vision to Better Another Man’s Life.

Jean Laurent - daughter of Ken & Phyllis Laurent; Andy Laurent - grandson of Ken & Phyllis Laurent; Blake Heinzeroth - son of Jerry Heinzeroth, Laurent House Foundation Founder & President Emeritus; John Groh - original and longtime Laurent House Foundation board member and CEO for GoRockford; and Penny Cardino - caretaker and friend to the Laurents.

We have some exciting news to share! The Laurent House Foundation has been working for almost a year with a highly regar...
08/16/2026

We have some exciting news to share! The Laurent House Foundation has been working for almost a year with a highly regarded writer, Jane King Hession, to write a book on the Laurent House (the first and only book authorized by the Laurent House Foundation).

Jane King Hession is a Minneapolis-based architectural historian, writer, and curator, who earned her M.Arch from the University of Minnesota. She has been involved with the Frank Lloyd Wright world since 1999. She is a former president and board member of the Chicago-based Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy (FLWBC). As such, she presented numerous session papers at national conferences and served as guest editor for several issues of the organization’s publication SaveWright. For the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, she curated the exhibits Bridging America with Frank Lloyd Wright (2002), and John Howe in Minnesota: The Prairie School Legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright (2000), which featured the sublime renderings of Howe, once known as the “Pencil in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hand.”

Hession has authored/coauthored five books, including: Frank Lloyd Wright in New York: The Plaza Years, 1954-59 (2007); The Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park: The Kraus House (2015), and John H. Howe, Architect: From Taliesin Apprentice to Master of Organic Design (2015).

In addition to her focus on Wright, Hession has also researched and written about modernism in Minnesota. Her award-winning books include Ralph Rapson: Sixty Years of Modern Design (1999), and Elizabeth Scheu Close: A Life in Modern Architecture (2020), which was the recipient of a Docomomo US Modernism in America Award of Excellence in 2024.

Her research and writing have been supported by The Getty Research Institute, The Graham Foundation for Advanced Study in the Fine Arts, The Beverly Willis Architectural Foundation, The Minnesota Historical Society, and AIA Minnesota.

Honoring Phyllis Laurent, born May 15, 1918. It was Phyllis' vision that inspired Ken Laurent to reach out to Frank Lloy...
05/16/2026

Honoring Phyllis Laurent, born May 15, 1918. It was Phyllis' vision that inspired Ken Laurent to reach out to Frank Lloyd Wright in August of 1948 to request a home for them that would meet Ken's unique needs as a paraplegic.

Address

4646 Spring Brook Road
Rockford, IL
61114

Opening Hours

Friday 11am - 3pm
Saturday 11am - 3pm
Sunday 1pm - 4pm

Telephone

+18158772952

Website

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