Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin D. Martin House

Visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin D. Martin House to see an important piece of U.S. architectural history in person. Tour the carefully laid-out interior of this beautiful building, which is among the finest examples of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, still one of the country’s best-known architects almost 60 years after his death.

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in 1867. He built this house for a local businessman named Darwin D. Martin and completed construction in 1907. See the many features that mark this building as one of Wright’s characteristic “Prairie Houses,” of which he built several in the eastern U.S. These houses are known for their long, low forms, designed to blend in with the prairie landscape, and their many horizontal lines.

As with many of Wright’s works, the Darwin D. Martin House is a sprawling building that covers a large area. Explore the six different structures that make up the house, spread across different levels yet connected by passageways and staircases. Enter the main Martin House building to see the primary living quarters of the family. Meanwhile, the smaller Barton House was where Martin’s sister and her husband lived. As you explore the simple yet elegant interior of the complex’s several buildings, look for the 394 art glass windows and other glass pieces designed by Wright himself.

Several elements of the house have been demolished over the years, but the Martin House Restoration Corporation, which now cares for the building, has been working to painstakingly restore these lost sections of the building. See examples of this restoration work in the conservatory and the pergola, which have been rebuilt from scratch, faithfully following the original designs.

See Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin D. Martin House by joining a guided tour. This is the only way to get access to the interior of the house. Although there is a charge for tickets, it is well worth paying to hear an expert reveal the fascinating history of this building.