Adams, Mary W., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1906 from a design dated 1905, this house at 1923 Lake Avenue in Highland Park was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is a wood-frame, stucco-surfaced residence in the Prairie School style, with strong horizontal emphasis, banded windows, overhanging eaves, accentuated piers, a hidden doorway and a string course below the second-story window ribbons. The plan is a symmetrical modified cruciform with multiple levels, built-in furnishings and an open layout, and it has no applied ornament. It was conceived as a $3,500 economy house. The house is one of three Wright designed in Highland Park and one of his early Prairie houses. Its plan follows the modified cruciform type established in the Ward W. Willits House of 1902 and later used in the Robie House of 1909. It represents a key period in Wright's career and retains its original hardware. Its condition is listed as deteriorated, and some art or leaded glass windows have been removed. It remains in residential use.
Significance in brief: The house is one of Wright's early Prairie School houses and one of three in Highland Park. It uses the modified cruciform plan established in the Ward W. Willits House of 1902, later used in the Robie House of 1909. It represents Wright's work during one of the most important periods of his career. The reviewer accepted it under Criterion C.
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 82002552, listed September 29, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1923 Lake Ave., Highland Park |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County |
| Listed | September 29, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002552 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style | Prairie School Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked deteriorated; original and present use are both residential. Alterations include removal of art or leaded glass windows. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.18742, -87.78915 (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 82002552.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6780897
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.