The Acres

The Acres, also known as Galesburg Country Homes, is a naturalistic residential plat designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Charleston Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.[1]

The Acres (Galesburg Country Homes)
The Acres is located in Michigan
The Acres
LocationCharleston Township, Michigan
Coordinates42°15′39.93″N 85°24′42.59″W
Built1949
ArchitectFrank Lloyd Wright
Architectural styleUsonian
NRHP reference No.04000458[1]
Added to NRHPMay 19, 2004

History

In 1947, a group of scientists from the Upjohn pharmaceutical company purchased this section of land to cooperatively build a community of homes. The group approached Frank Lloyd Wright about designing the subdivision, and he visited that same year, walking the land to gather information. Wright laid out lots in a non-conventional circular pattern, with the interstitial areas to be held in common. Starting in the late 1940s and continuing through 1960, five of the lots were developed — four with designs by Wright and one designed by Taliesin School fellow Francis "Will" Willsey. With the fifth house, coop members decided that they liked the result, and further development came to an end.[2]

Description

The Acres consists of 21 1-acre (4,000 m2) circular lots, each 114 feet in diameter. The plat was designed to have 50 acres of open land for community use that also included a three-acre pond. Seven of the lots are owned; only five of these contain houses. The remainder of the plat, including unbuilt lots, is held in common. Of the five houses, four are Wright-designed Usonian homes, and the fifth was designed by Taliesin School fellow Francis "Will" Willsey.[3] The homes are located on Hawthorne Drive, a narrow and curving road bordered alternately by heavy woods, low scrub growth, and open areas. A signpost is located at the entrance to the neighborhood.[2]

Homes in the Acres are:[2]

  • David and Christine Weisblat Residence (Frank Lloyd Wright): Long in-line house with an exterior of concrete block and mahogany, built in 1951.
  • Eric and Pat Pratt Residence (Frank Lloyd Wright): Long in-line house with a taller central mass with an exterior of concrete block and mahogany, built in 1950–54.
  • Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein Residence (Frank Lloyd Wright): Long in-line house with an exterior of concrete block and mahogany, built in 1950–59.
  • Curtis and Lillian Meyer Residence (Frank Lloyd Wright): A "solar hemicycle" design, with exterior of concrete block and mahogany, built in 1950–51.
  • Günther and Anne Fonken House (Francis "Will" Willsey): T-shaped house with a low pitched roof, built in 1960.
  • David and Christine Weisblat Residence
    David and Christine Weisblat Residence
  • Eric and Pat Pratt Residence
    Eric and Pat Pratt Residence
  • Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein Residence
    Samuel and Dorothy Eppstein Residence

See also

References
  1. "National Register of Historical Places - MICHIGAN - Kalamazoo County". National Park Service.
  2. Pamela Hall O'Connor (November 30, 2003), NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM" The Acres
  3. "NPS Form 10-900" (PDF). Michigan Modern. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  • Storrer, William Allin. The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion. University Of Chicago Press, 2006, ISBN 0-226-77621-2 (S.294, S.295, S.296, S.297)
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