{"nrhp_refnum":"72000455","name":"Thomas, Frank, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"210 Forest Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Oak Park","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.89113382600004,"lon":-87.79673180999998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-09-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A private residence at 210 Forest Avenue in Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois, designed in 1901 by architect Frank Lloyd Wright for grain merchant James Rogers, who gave it to his daughter Sue and her husband Frank Thomas as a wedding gift.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is the first design Wright actually built in the Prairie Style, following his 1901 published design \"A Home in a Prairie Town.\" Its pioneering features include broad overhangs, low-pitched roofs with built-in gutters, casement windows and art glass. It is described as a direct predecessor of the 1908 Robie House.","narrative":"Built in 1901 at 210 Forest Avenue in Oak Park, this house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for grain merchant James Rogers, who gave it to his daughter Sue and her husband Frank Thomas as a wedding gift. Neighbors nicknamed it \"The Harem\" because of its arched entrance and hidden entrance stair. It was one of Wright's first designs without a basement, with service rooms on the ground floor and the main living spaces one story above grade. The nomination calls it the first design Wright actually built in the Prairie Style. Notable features include broad overhangs, low-pitched roofs with built-in gutters, casement windows, art glass, and a strong horizontal emphasis. It is described as a direct predecessor of the 1908 Robie House. Tallmadge and Watson remodelled it in 1924, replacing the original stucco with wood shingles. It sits at the south end of Forest Avenue, Oak Park's most important street of Wright-designed residences.","period_of_significance":"1901","architect_builder":"Frank Lloyd Wright (architect); Tallmadge and Watson (1924 remodelling)","architectural_style":"Prairie Style","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in fair condition and altered; described as threatened by nearby multi-family buildings and zoning allowing 14 apartments on the lot. A later grant record covers roof and porch repairs.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:34.958454-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/80/8920/28892080/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/72000455.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000455/3398ee2734-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000455/3398ee2734-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.5","author":"IvoShandor","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oak_Park_Il_Thomas_House4.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">IvoShandor</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.5</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oak_Park_Il_Thomas_House4.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"08001096","name":"Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District (Boundary Increase)","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/illinois/frank-lloyd-wright-prairie-school-of-architecture-historic-district-boundary-inc-08001096/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892080","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_W._Thomas_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5489939"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/thomas-frank-house-72000455/"}