American System-Built Homes
The American System-Built Homes were modest houses designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. They were developed between 1912 and 1916 to fulfill his interest in affordable housing. Wright was devoted to the idea of providing beautiful yet affordable homes to the public. His firm produced over 960 drawings for the project, the largest number of drawings for any project in the Wright archives. The designs were standardized, and customers could choose from seven models. Because of this standardization, the lumber could be precut at the factory, thereby cutting down on both waste and the amount of skilled labor needed for construction. The buildings are often termed prefabricated homes, but they were not, since no parts of the homes were constructed off-site. The lumber was cut at the factory, packaged along with all other components, and delivered to the work site for construction. Some are located in a federal historic district in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and others have been designated Chicago Landmarks in Chicago, Illinois. Manufacture and sales In 1911, Arthur L. Richards and a partner contracted with Frank Lloyd Wright to design a hotel in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. After this, Richards learned of Wright's new American System-Built Homes, and in 1914 began construction on six as demonstrator models. Richards gained the exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute the homes. He sold franchises to market the homes, and allowed only approved contractors to build them. He had offices in Milwaukee, the Chicago area, Champaign, Decatur and Gary. The Richards Company milled the lumber, cut it to specification, and packaged all the materials needed for construction, including plaster, paint, windows, hardware and fixtures. The customer purchased a complete home, so in addition to the materials, skilled craftsmen were provided. In April 1917, the United States entered World War I, and building materials were diverted to the war effort, stalling new home building. Later that year, Wright, dissatisfied with Richards, sued him for nonpayment of royalties and fees, and the project came to an end. It is believed that about 25 System-Built Homes were constructed, but only about 15 survive. They can be found in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. Burnham Street Historic District, Milwaukee The original six homes built in the Burnham Park neighborhood of Milwaukee by Arthur Richards were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. There are four model 7a duplexes, a model B1 bungalow, the only example of its kind, and a model C3 bungalow. It is the only known grouping of System-Built homes, and the only grouping of Frank Lloyd Wright homes that includes both duplexes and single-family dwellings. Three of the homes have been purchased by the Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin Program. The B1 bungalow was restored in 2010, with one of the duplexes to follow. They are located in the 2700 block of West Burnham Street, at South Layton Boulevard. American System Built Homes in the Burnham Street District: Arthur L. Richards Duplex Apartments - referred to as either "Model 7a Duplexes", "Model C"