Winslow House

River Forest, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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The Winslow House, located at 515 Auvergne Place in River Forest, Illinois, is Frank Lloyd Wright's first major independent architectural commission, built in 1894–95. Wright himself later identified it as "the first 'prairie house,'" marking a pivotal moment in his career and the development of the Prairie School style. Commissioned by William Winslow, a manufacturer of decorative ironwork, the house displays Wright's emerging architectural philosophy through its horizontally oriented design—a sheltered composition of stone, golden Roman brick, and a terra cotta Sullivanesque frieze beneath a low-pitched roof with wide eaves. The symmetrical front facade contrasts sharply with an irregular, geometric rear elevation. Inside, the plan centers on a prominent fireplace positioned between the entry and flanking rooms, with a concealed main staircase—a spatial arrangement that would echo through Wright's subsequent work. The house's design acknowledges both Louis Sullivan's influence and the earlier James Charnley House while establishing principles central to Wright's mature Prairie style. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.