Baldwin, Hiram, House
Also known as: Baldwin-Wackerle Residence
Why it's listed
Built in 1905 for Hiram Baldwin, this house at 205 Essex Road in Kenilworth, Illinois, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is a Prairie-style residence with stucco walls, horizontal wood stripping at the sill lines, low-pitched hip roofs and wide eaves. Its plan follows a pinwheel form with a north-south axis and a curved living-room wing lit by continuous casement windows. Wood screens recalling Japanese devices define courtyards at the entry and separate the terrace from the kitchen yard. The nomination places the house in the formative period of Wright's prairie work, linking it to his 1901 Willits House and 1906 Robie House and to a design published in Ladies Home Journal. It is the only Wright-designed house in Kenilworth. The interior has been redecorated but follows the original plan, and the exterior remains largely unchanged. Roof and structural work has been completed, with further restoration planned.
Significance in brief: The house belongs to the formative period of Wright's prairie house development and reflects design ideas found in his 1901 to 1906 houses. It is also the only Wright-designed house in Kenilworth and shows Japanese influence in its wood screens.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83000307, listed July 28, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 205 Essex Rd., Kenilworth |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | July 28, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000307 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style | Prairie House |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in excellent condition, altered, with a phased restoration under way (roofing, gutters and structural stabilization completed). |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.08680, -87.70943 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83000307.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5769029
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.