Issue 453 March 5th 2025

The Headlines

Affleck House In Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Receives Gift

Lawrence Technological University’s College of Architecture and Design has received a $1 million donation from John and Michele Donley, aimed at supporting scholarships, faculty enrichment, and the maintenance of the historic Frank Lloyd Wright designed Affleck House.

The donation is divided into three endowments: Donley Endowed Graduate Scholarship – A merit-based scholarship for Master of Architecture students, providing $11,500 in tuition reimbursement and up to $2,000 for academic-related expenses.

Donley “Affleck Fellow” Fund – Supports early-career professionals in architecture and design for a paid, one-year fellowship focused on research and teaching.

Donley Affleck House Maintenance Fund – Ensures the preservation and upkeep of the Affleck House, a 1940 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home used as a teaching tool for LTU students.

University leaders expressed gratitude for the gift, which not only relieves financial pressures on maintaining the 85-year-old house but also strengthens LTU’s connection to the broader architectural community. The Donleys, continuing a family legacy of philanthropy, will also match donations to these endowments up to $500,000, with LTU featuring the funds in its Giving Day on April 8, 2025.

Call For Applications For Martin House Creative Residency Program

Frank Lloyd Wright’s D.D. Martin House (Buffalo, New York) is pleased to announce a call for applications to its Creative Residency Program. The residency provides individuals from multiple disciplines a thought-provoking environment in which to produce new works of the imagination inspired by one of the great examples of 20th century architecture.

Applications to the 2026 season will open on April 14 and close on May 9. They will be accepted in two distinct categories. The Artist Program supports the development and presentation of creative works as they relate to Martin House. The Researcher Program provides opportunities to conduct research that will lead to published texts or projects in various fields, again as they relate to Frank Lloyd Wright and Martin House.

Creative makers who are selected to participate will generally spend 2-4 weeks onsite either consecutively or incrementally within the residency term: June - October, 2026. Residents are also expected to deliver a free public program, performance, exhibition, or other creative presentation in order to share their Martin House-inspired work with the larger public.

Residents will receive a stipend of $5,000. Travel expenses of up to $1,000 will also be provided to residents who are from outside the Buffalo-Niagara region.

The Creative Residency Program is an opportunity for the Martin House to respond to and engage with our community. We anticipate that it will lead to more robust interpretations of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Martin House, and the people who once lived and worked here so as to expand the dialogue as to what great architecture is and why it matters.

Further information and application materials are available here.

E. Fay Jones Property Receives Award For Historic Preservation

The 1956 Richard and Alma Brothers Residence in Fayetteville, Arkansas, an early work of renowned Arkansas architect E. Fay Jones, has recently won the Historic Preservation through Restoration Award from Preserve Arkansas. The home, once in severe disrepair, was at risk of being lost due to a sagging roof, extensive water damage, and wildlife intrusion. David McKee, an architect and contractor, led a careful restoration project, honoring Jones’s original design while integrating necessary updates for modern living.

Key restoration efforts included resetting and replacing the roof, rebuilding the stone chimney, and upgrading electrical and plumbing systems. Signature elements like floor-to-ceiling windows, corner-butted panes, and natural materials were preserved. The McKees also remodeled parts of the home, including replacing damaged cork flooring and transforming a music room into a dining space with a custom-designed table by Jones.

David McKee, who worked with E. Fay Jones for 16 years, received the Fay Jones Legacy Medal in Architecture for his dedication to preserving the architect’s legacy. The Brothers Residence, now a vacation rental called “The Gray by Fay Jones,” stands as a testament to Jones’s mid-century modern style and the McKee family's commitment to architectural preservation.

Westcott House Is Training New Tour Volunteers

The Westcott House in Springfield, Ohio, is celebrating 20 years of being open to the public by inviting community members to join its volunteer team. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house, the only Prairie-style Wright house in Ohio, offers a unique opportunity for volunteers to lead tours for visitors from around the world.

Volunteer training sessions will take place on four Saturday mornings starting March 15, 2025. Volunteers, known as docents, will learn about the history of the Westcott family, the house, Wright’s architecture, and the Springfield region. No prior experience is needed, but volunteers must commit at least four hours per month. The training costs $35, which includes a Westcott membership, gift shop discounts, and continuing education opportunities.

The Westcott House, built between 1906 and 1908, was nearly lost after being converted into apartments in 1945. However, a restoration project led by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, the Turner Foundation, and the Westcott House Foundation brought it back to its original design. Since reopening as a museum in 2005, the site has welcomed around 11,000 visitors annually through tours and educational programs, including summer camps and virtual events.

Executive Director Marta Wojcik emphasizes the importance of volunteers in supporting the house’s role as a tourism destination and cultural treasure. Volunteers find joy in sharing the home’s history and architecture with visitors, contributing to the site's ongoing success and potential for growth.

Interested individuals may contact info@westcotthouse.org or call 937-327-9291.

Wright's Westhope In Oklahoma Back Up For Sale Asking $3.5 Million

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home, Westhope, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is back on the market for $3.5 million, nearly half its original $8 million listing price. The geometric textile-block home, built in the 1920s for Wright's cousin, journalist Richard Lloyd Wright, is one of Oklahoma's three Wright-designed homes and among the largest private residences he built. It is also one of only about five buildings made using Wright's unique textile-block technique and the only one outside California.

Stuart Price, head of Price Family Properties, purchased Westhope in 2021 for $2.5 million from Barbara Tyson of the Tyson Foods family. He restored it through 2022, refurbishing floors, redoing the kitchen, and replacing window glass. Initially listed for $8 million in 2023, the price was later reduced to $4.5 million and now to $3.5 million to attract more interest.

The 10,400-square-foot home on a 1.5-acre lot features clean geometric lines, layered tile surfaces, gridded windows, a large skylight, five bedrooms, a pool, and a two-bedroom guest house. The selling agents emphasize the responsibility of preserving the historic home, hoping to appeal to a niche group of buyers.

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