Issue 447 January 22nd 2025

The Headlines

Price Tower Owners Offer To Sell For $1.4 Million Amidst Legal Battle

An emergency hearing was held in Bartlesville, OK on Tuesday for the sale of Frank Lloyd Wright's Price Tower.

The owners agreed to sell the building on a contract to McFarlin Building, LLC, who also owns the Mayo Hotel in Tulsa. The sale price in the contract was $1.4 million and the buyers would not be held liable for the claims coming against the original owners on debt.

The buying parties claimed the sellers had breached contract by allegedly selling off artifacts from the building, and by not fully showing all the claims and debt on the building.

The sellers also did not restore the utilities to the building as a district judge ordered them to do earlier this month.

Several of the claims against the sellers of Price Tower are allegations of money owed, employees allegedly not being paid, a possible lean still on the building and others. One of the claims against the owners is asking for half a million dollars. All these claims and suits are expected to be discussed in February.

Tuesday's court hearing was to agree to sell the tower. The sellers claimed they had too many logistical and financial issues to restore utilities. They also said not every claim against them made by the buyers was substantiated. The buyers said they would agree to the original contract sale and price if the court enforces the contract.

The attorneys representing parties and creditors who have pending cases against the selling owners were present to make their cases known for the court record.

There attorneys representing the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy were present to work with the buying attorneys to ensure the importance of the property and the artifacts sold in the judge's consideration of the contract.

The judge ordered that the sale continue as originally intended between the McFarlin Building, LLC and Copper Tree, Inc.

Sherlockians To Perform Mystery As Benefit For Frank Lloyd Wright House

An upcoming fundraiser for Wright in Kankakee is kicking off the 125th anniversary of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the historic B. Harley Bradley House.

Two shows are set for 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Saturday, March 1 for adults over 21.

The shows are about an Academy Award that’s been stolen from a Hollywood Oscar party and it’s your job to apprehend the thief and get it back. Channel your inner Perry Mason, Hercule Poirot or Sam Spade at a mystery party at the B. Harley Bradley House, 701 S. Harrison Ave., Kankakee, Illinois.

Tickets include refreshments and a booklet to guide your questioning.

Laura Pressley Wins 2024 Leicester B. Holland Prize

History and architecture entwined as the Library of Congress, in tandem with the National Park Service, crowned Laura Pressley the 2024 Leicester B. Holland Prize laureate. Pressley's meticulous drawing of the Wainwright Tomb at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, MO garnered the prestigious honor. Designed by famous early American modernist architect Louis Sullivan, the tomb is considered not just a St. Louis emblem but a beacon of modernist American architecture.

The Wainwright Tomb, erected in 1893, stands as Sullivan's third and final offering to the era's architectural heritage, following the Carrie Eliza Getty Tomb and the Martin Ryerson Tomb. Pressley's ability to beautifully capture this architectural jewel was lauded for her exceptional attention to detail in her drawing, which in turn landed her a not-too-shabby $1,500 and a certificate of recognition. Her work, executed during her grad student days at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will now permanently grace the Library of Congress' collection.

Dedicated to Leicester B. Holland, a prominent figure in the realm of American architecture and historic preservation, the prize celebrates the finest single-sheet, measured drawings of historic significance, prepared by professionals and students alike. The winners' illustrations are set to join the vast expanse of the Library of Congress' collections, offering a snapshot of America's past to the public eye.

Completion Of The Last Piece In The Hillside Theater Restoration Underway

From 2018 to 2024, the Hillside Theater at Taliesin in Wisconsin underwent an extensive restoration. One of the collections highlights was the conservation of the two Chinese Buddhist Guanyin sculptures which flank the stage. It is believed that these were originally part of a set of four statues owned by Frank Lloyd Wright, depicting various individuals working towards “awakening”, also known as Bodhisattvas.

The sculptures were damaged by the 1952 fire that destroyed the Hillside Playhouse, leaving a blackened layer of soot on the painted paper surfaces. The conservators at the Midwest Art Conservation Center did a beautiful job cleaning and repairing the sculptures, revealing the subtle beauty that persists despite the fire damage. This project was made possible by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has announced that they have received National Endowment for the Arts grants for Arts Projects (NEA GAP) and E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation awards to complete the last piece in the Hillside Theater restoration. This Spring they will begin work on the 10-foot tall, 12-panel Chinese Coromandel folding screen which was displayed in the Hillside Drafting Studio and then Dana Gallery from 1942-1956, and then in the Theater when it reopened post-fire reconstruction in 1956.

The large, double-sided screen has an unusual design for its type, with palace scenes paying tribute to two dignitaries—a high ranking scholar and military commander—on both sides, rather than just one. The screen, believed to date to the Kangxi era (1662-1722), was made by an unknown artist and was purchased by Wright from Yamanaka & Co. on January 30, 1942, along with other Asian screens and sculptures.

Created more than 300 years ago and installed at Taliesin for over 80 years, the screen has experienced fading, loss, cracks, tenting, flaking, distortion, and minor surface damage, along with accumulated dirt and grime. The Conservation Center in Chicago will be addressing these condition issues by cleaning, repairing, in-painting areas of loss, and applying a coat of wax for additional protection. Stay tuned for updates on the conservation process!

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