Sunday evening I attended a birthday party at Frank Lloyd Wright's William R. Heath House. Out of the blue (earlier that day), DJ Jim 'Cosmic' Collins called me and said, "Hey, do you want to come over tonight to hear me spin at the Frank Lloyd Wright house on Bird?" I immediately responded with an affirmative and went about my Sunday activities. At 5:30pm Cosmic rang me to say that things were getting underway, and that I might want to show up before things got going. He was hoping that I could snap some photos of the house beforehand... "We have a fire stoked in the fireplace and I'm setting up my decks."
As I drove over to the house I thought about years earlier when someone had asked me whether I had ever been inside the Heath House. I had never had the opportunity, and considering it was a private residence I assumed it would endlessly elude me. That is why Sunday's invitation was so cool. As I drove through the fog on the way to the house, the snapped trees of the parkways loomed overhead. Automobile headlights shot through the tree trunks as if divers were shining their flashlights through beds of kelp. It was an eerie scene, but one that set the mood for the remainder of the evening.
As I pulled up to the party I could see Cosmic spinning through one of the windows. I waved to him and he ran around to the front to let me in. The front door of the house was almost as wide as it was tall, and as it slowly swung open the foyer light pierced the outside mist, illuminating the stoop. The door featured a wide, narrow turret window that added to its overall abnormal shape. Once inside, Cosmic led me to living area where a fire was burning in the most magnificent fireplace that I had ever seen. An inscription on the mantel read:
THE BEAUTY OF THE HOUSE IS ORDER
THE BLESSING OF THE HOUSE IS CONTENTMENT
THE GLORY OF THE HOUSE IS HOSPITALITY
THE CROWN OF THE HOUSE IS GODLINESS
Built between 1904-1905 the Heath House is one of Wright's prairie houses that is characterized by low ceilings, which echo the low rooflines. Sunday evening, the house was filled with a warm fire glow that flickered light about the place. As I looked around and found my bearings I noticed that many of the interior features were different than I had anticipated. The wood beam accents were blonde - I later discovered that they were lightened many years ago because the owners felt the dark wood was... too dark. Also, the first floor original stained glass windows had been removed and replaced with translucent panes of glass - there were original stained glass lighting accents here and there, but for the most part the only original glass that remained was to be found on the second floor. Unfortunately, the second floor was off limits at the party. The original furniture had also been replaced by mid-century looking pieces, ,any of which the owner had found at a garage sale.
Despite some of the unfortunate changes that had taken place over the years, I could not help but think (over and over) that we were lucky to have the structure surviving at all. Not only was the Heath House still standing after a hundred years... for the most part it appeared to be in excellent shape. The Heath House is fascinating, with small cut-throughs in the walls, built-in shelving, interior brick and woodwork, and wonderful floors. The cabinetry in the kitchen is still dark wood (as it was a hundred years ago) - a glimpse of how the interior must have once looked, but it is that inscription over the fireplace that says it all. Had the private owners not kept up the Heath House over the years it might have shared the same fate as the Martin House. Though the interior alterations are a bit sad, and the glass and furniture are not present, there is an overall spirit that has endured.
Thanks to DJ Jim 'Cosmic' Collins for the invitation, and to the owners for allowing me to come and visit their fascinating house. We are truly lucky to have such a wonderful asset in our city.