Oscar B. Balch House

Oak Park, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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Located at 611 N. Kenilworth Avenue in Oak Park, Illinois, the Oscar B. Balch House is a Prairie School residence designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1911. The home was Wright's first commission following his return from a European journey that resulted in considerable personal and professional upheaval, leaving the architect estranged from friends, clients, and family. Characteristic of Wright's mature Prairie style, the house employs a notably flat roof that emphasizes horizontal linearity, marking it as among the earliest of Wright's residential designs to adopt this formal feature. Historian Thomas O'Gorman has suggested the house may offer insight into Wright's subconscious artistic concerns. The property is a contributing component of the Frank Lloyd Wright–Prairie School of Architecture Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.