Doing Things "Wright" in Wisconsin

 

We began our day’s travels along US-18, an enjoyable route because it took us through the Main Streets and rural areas of Middle America.  We crossed the Mighty Mississippi River in a blanket of fog that dissipated once we landed in Wisconsin.

 

We arrived at Tom’s Campground in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.  It sits on a parcel of land that was homesteaded 100+ years ago by Halvor Knutson, whose stone cabin along the stream still stands.  Knutson’s relatives, the Thomas Family, are the current owners of the land, and three generations of their family still reside in the area.  The area is beautiful, with rolling hills and views of the family farm in the distance.  Our site was an extra-large pull-through with full hook-ups, picnic table, fire ring, and free Wi-Fi for $45/night.  We had crisp temperatures and overcast skies during most of our stay, and we witnessed some early stages of fall foliage.

 

The old stone cabin from the homestead.

The Thomas family farm can be seen nestled in the distant hills.

A cold front moving in produced some very cool clouds.

A unique sunset.  Is that the Xscapers RV group insignia I see?

Some early fall leaf color.

Although we awoke the next morning to a wet, gloomy day, the weather wasn’t going to dampen our spirits as we toured Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin to learn more about this UNESCO World Heritage Site and about Frank Lloyd Wright--the man, the architect, the legend.  

 

As a lad, Wright’s mother saw his potential to build great things, and she groomed him for architecture.  She decorated his room with engravings of architectural works and purchased him Froebel Gifts, which were geometrically shaped blocks.  At age 19, he left the University of Wisconsin without obtaining any degree.  Instead, he went to Chicago, Illinois, and began his career as a draftsman.  He came under the mentorship of architect Louis Sullivan (of Adler & Sullivan), and by age 25, Wright became the head of Residential Design.  In time, however, Wright was fired for his “side hustle” of taking on commissioned jobs to assist with his personal finances.   By 1893, he left Adler & Sullivan, and ventured out on his own, going on to revolutionize American architecture.

 

What makes Taliesin such a special structure?   It is the home and studio designed/built by Frank Lloyd Wright FOR Wright—and the love of his life.  Get ready for some scandal, folks.  You see, although married to Catherine Tobin from 1889 to 1922, Frank fell madly in love with Mary Bouton “Mamah” Borthwick, the wife of his client, Edwin Cheney, when designing a home for the Cheneys in the early 1900s.  In 1909, Mamah and Frank went off to Europe together, abandoning their spouses and children (Wright had 6, Mamah had 2) in the name of true love.  When Wright returned to the U.S.A. a year later, Catherine Tobin thought his “fling” with Mamah was over.  Instead, Wright filed for divorce from his spouse (as did Mamah while staying behind a month in Europe).

 

Perceived as social outcasts, Frank felt he/Mamah could not return to Chicago.  So, Wright returned to his ancestral roots (his grandparents emigrated to Wisconsin from Wales), where the Driftless Hills of Spring Green reminded Wright of the Welsh countryside.  He obtained money from his mother to purchase the initial 37 acres and build the 30,000+ square foot “Taliesin”, whose name is another nod to his heritage (“Taliesin means “shining brow” in Welsh).

 

But Wright and Mamah’s affair within the “Love Castle on the Hill” would be short lived.  In 1914, while Wright was away on business, a member of Taliesin’s staff became a mass murderer—knifing to death Mamah, her two children, and several fellow employees BEFORE setting fire to the home.

 

Wright rebuilt the home—and his personal life.  After a short-lived marriage to Miriam Noel, a morphine addict whom he divorced, he married Olgivanna Lazovic, 30 years his junior, in 1928.  They had one child together, and he legally adopted Olgivanna's daughter from a prior relationship.  Frank and Olgivanna remained committed to one another until the death of Frank on April 9, 1959, caused them to part.

 

Frank was always bad at managing his finances.  In fact, some of his students quipped that Frank considered a bill/invoice a “souvenir.”  He was often referred to as “Slow Pay Frank”.  Therefore, it was no surprise to learn Frank had to sell a major portion of the acreage he had acquired over the years (his property once totaled 2500 acres), leaving only the 600 acres we see today.  Additionally, he had to sell some of his prized Asian art in order to keep Taliesin.

 

But as Mom always says, we must accept people for the good AND the bad.  And Frank’s talents and vision certainly exuded good.  Furthermore, he was a spiritual man.  He believed that God was Nature and that Earth was a living laboratory.  His family motto was “truth against the world”.   It is said that from age 20 to age 72, he designed a new structure every month!  Wright’s design for Taliesin infused nature, music, and his Asian passions.  He added sand from the nearby Wisconsin River to the plaster to get a “natural” wall color.   Taliesin has a wonderful view of water from most rooms, which Wright achieved by damming a creek.  The property consists of a residential wing, an agricultural wing, and an architectural studio wing, where students would reside and work (in fact, an architecture student from 1952 still resides/works on the premises, and she is now 101 years old!).  Interestingly, Wright was the inspiration for author Ayn Rand's character, Howard Roark, in the book "The Fountainhead".   

You can see how Wright built on the "brow" of a hill.

The agricultural wing...

...transitions to the residential wing.

 

This Buddha was saved from the pre-fire design and incorporated into an interior stone wall.  Wright considered Buddhas blossoms to the soul. 

The view of the falls from the home, created by damming the creek.

Another view of the grounds highlights a stone garden wall shaped like a musical note. 

The table at which Wright met client Solomon R. Guggenheim in 1945 to discuss designing his New York City museum... 

...and Wright's shell collection in that room that may have inspired a concept for the design.

Wright designed every structure on the property, including this barn...

...and this windmill, which he entitled "Romeo and Juliet".

Wright's architectural studio.

Rather than cut down this tree, Wright made it part of the studio building design.

Interior photos...

...of the studio building.

As wonderful as our Taliesin tour was, our tour the next day of Wright-designed Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin was a disaster. Trying to navigate the road congestion and road closures in Madison was a nightmare.    When we finally arrived at the Center, we found total chaos!   There were literally thousands of people AND bicycles in the halls, convention rooms, elevators, and staircases: Ironman was in progress!  Though our tour guide Gretchen was a sweetheart, you could barely hear her speak above the cacophony.   Maneuvering our group around the Ironman participants, sponsors, and vendor booths was a challenge.  Most importantly, our ability to take photos was impossible.  Good thing the tour cost only $5/person, because it was a total waste of my time and cheddar, and it should not have been offered during Ironman.  Furthermore, Wright designed the Center in 1938, and it included a jail and City Hall.  However, it took 50+ years to get approval from the City Fathers to construct it (talk about bureaucratic red tape and hurdles to overcome)!  By the time it opened in 1997, a City Hall and a jail were already built and Wright was deceased.  So, the exterior may be mostly Wright’s design (they had to shorten its height to not exceed that of the nearby State Capitol building), but the interior was revamped considerably, and the project was overseen by one of Wright’s students.

Thankfully, our subsequent tour that day of the Wright-designed First Unitarian Society building in Madison was a winner.  Designed by Wright in 1947, construction was completed in 1951.  Wright and his extended family were all members of this Unitarian Universalist Congregation, which has no religious dogma.  Their only belief is that all can learn from others.  Wright took money for the Usonian design, but he donated his time for free lectures and “volunteered” his students to do some labor.  Wright’s original cost estimated was $65,000-$70,000; however, it totaled $212,000 to complete, with congregants hauling the stone from a local quarry themselves to save on costs.

The exterior design angle resembles praying hands.

Transitional hallway from sanctuary area.

Originally, Wright designed this part of the structure as the Parsons' residence,...

...but it is used currently as a community room.

Original Wright-designed pew and cushions.

This wing is not part of Wright's original design,...

...but it makes a seamless transition with its LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) components. 

Notice the use of Wright's signature "Cherokee Red" hue.

We completed our final study of Wright by visiting a few other properties in the area.  It had been a great learning experience.

The homestead of Wright's grandparents is not far from Taliesin.

Unity Chapel Cemetery in Spring Green, Wisconsin is where Wright's ancestors, his mistress/lover Mamah Borthwick, and his grandaughter, actress Anne Baxter, are buried.  Wright was buried here initially, but his remains were exhumed, cremated, and scattered with Olgivanna's somewhere on the grounds of Taliesin West in Scotsdale, Arizona.  

Wyoming School, designed by Wright in 1957 in Wyoming, Wisconsin.

But our fun in Wisconsin was not over!  I’ll tell you about our other stops in my next post.

Enjoying Art and Architecture in Mason City, Iowa

We left Wanatee Park on a warm (but not oppressively hot) summer morning, traversing along several highways including US-218/IA-27, which has the moniker “Avenue of the Saints” since it connects St. Louis, Missouri and St. Paul, Minnesota.

 

Corn, corn, everywhere I looked.  I learned Iowa produces more corn than any other state.  Sadly, only 1% of all corn grown in Iowa is sweet corn for human consumption (the rest goes to feed animals and create ethanol).  Even more distressing, 90% of all corn grown in the U.S.A. is genetically modified.

 

We arrived at our next destination: Margaret MacNider Campground in Mason City, Iowa.  We were surprised by this City-operated Park.  It has super long full-hook-up sites that fit Big Boomer/Suite Retreat without unhitching. Additionally, it offers free Wi-Fi, firepits and picnic tables at each site, clean restrooms/showers (I didn’t use them, but I did a Rambling RV Rat inspection), and even a laundry facility located within the tornado shelter, all for the reasonable price of $32/night including sales tax.  We were given the option to park the Jeep on a nearby site or in the excess parking area, both within viewing distance.  Margaret MacNider Campground is within walking distance of East Park, which has lovely flower gardens, several children’s play areas, walking/biking trails, picnic shelters, a Cannonball Locomotive (currently undergoing restoration), 12 pickleball courts, and several other amenities.

The Canadian Geese Gang took over the B-ball court!

The trees were displaying early signs of fall color.

A dozen pickleball courts!

As we got ourselves settled into our site, Mom discovered a severed brake line.  This is the second one we have encountered during our 2025 summer travels.  Fortunately, it caused us no problems during our two-hour drive between campgrounds, and Dad had another spare to do a quick repair.

 

Afterwards, we hopped in my Rambling RV Rat Pack Rubicon and headed to the Grotto of the Redemption Shrine in West Bend, Iowa.  Catholic priest, Father Paul Matthias Dobberstein, created the shrine in thanks for his being healed of a serious illness.  His magnificent work commenced in 1912 when serving as Pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Church.  He continued enlarging and perfecting the shrine for the next 42 years.   His successor, Pastor Louis Greving, and church parishioner, Matt Szerensce, worked diligently to further his efforts.  The Grotto’s construction and subsequent maintenance have been possible through donations, so I was happy to dive into my cheese bank to support this wonderous project. The shrine’s craftsmanship is superb, made with all natural resources procured from around the world:  coral, seashells, semi-precious stones, and petrified wood.  Interestingly, Father Dobberstein even acquired stalagmite from the caverns at Carlsbad before the area became a National Park. Words don’t adequately express nor my photos sufficiently depict the magnitude of beauty, symbolism, or creative detailing within the nine areas of the Grotto. 

 

"Paradise Lost" illustrates Adam and Eve succumbing to Evil in the Garden of Eden.

Representation of The Serpent.

The Stations of the Cross.

A sculpture paying homage to Father Dobberstein, creator of the Grotto.

Though the Grotto is available to view 24/7/365, the gift shop, rock studio, and museum (which offers guided tours) were closed when we arrived.   However, we had an opportunity to enter Saints Peter and Paul Church (a wedding had just transpired there) to see the Christmas Grotto.  It was built in 1927 and constructed of precious stones too fragile to be used outdoors. 

Even the gift shop is adorned with unique rock/shell patterns.

We spent the next day in Downtown Mason City.  Though a small Midwest city (population 28,000), Downtown offers great walking, biking, and cultural activities.  We enjoyed viewing the Sculptures on Parade, in which the public votes for its favorite creation of all those submitted each year.  Then the City purchases the most popular art piece.

Just a few of the dozens of Sculptures on Parade.

This sculpture is called "Jam and Eggs."

The Man, The Architect:  Frank Lloyd Wright.

Then we went to visit Music Man Square.  Alas, this indoor replica of the river town depicted in its namesake film/play/book was closed on Sunday.   But we did have the chance to walk across the bridge featured in the film version of “The Music Man".

 

Meredith Wilson (The Music Man) Footbridge.

We also walked along the Rock Glen-Rock Crest historical district, admiring the fine homes in Queen Anne, Tudor, and other architectural styles.

Just two of the dozens of homes we viewed...

...during our walking tour through the Rock Glen-Rock Crest historical district.

But our main reason for this visit to Downtown was to tour two more Frank Lloyd Wright structures, both in the Prairie School style.  Interestingly, Wright did not refer to this style as Prairie School.  He called it “organic”, comparing it to a tree in the forest.  His philosophy was that only things that contribute to a room’s function should be included in the design.

 

We scheduled a tour at the Park Inn Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908 and built in 1910 for $160,000.   The building was to be multifunctional, with a portion operating as City National Bank, another portion as legal offices for the owners of the property, and the remainder as a hotel.  Wright achieved a wonderfully cohesive design with levels and horizontal lines while incorporating unique features for each building function (for example, the hotel had large, welcoming windows, while the bank exterior had bars to resemble a strongbox). 

By 1926, the hotel and bank were failing, and the lawyers who commissioned Wright sold the building.  Through time, the building fell into disrepair and almost found itself succumb to the wrecking ball like the other half-dozen hotels Wright designed through his career (including the Imperial Hotel in Japan). But the people of Mason City realized that they had a diamond in the rough, and in 2011, a $18.6 million restoration commenced. 

The skylight windows in the lobby are all original!

Wright's use of natural lighting is exhibited by small openings within the column.

As Kramer on Seinfeld would say, it's all about the levels!

Law office lobby with original mahogany wood door and paneling.

Law Office conference room.

Wright even designed the Sun National Bank's unique door sidelights. 

 

We stopped at the Corner Pizza and Ale House for a Margherita pizza (which was surprisingly tasty considering we were in Iowa).  Then we went to tour Wright’s Stockman House.  At a cost of $8,000, it is a revised version of Wright’s “$5,000 Fireproof House” that was featured in the April 1907 edition of Ladies Home Journal that Eleanor Stockman perused.  Furthermore, Eleanor and Dr. George, her husband, were friends with James Markley, one of the lawyers who owned the Park Hotel that Wright designed.

The Stockman home represented a middle-class Prairie School home.  It featured built-in bookcases, cantilevered roof, ribbon windows, and interior walls textured by sand being added to the paint.  The Stockmans did not purchase Wright’s furniture package, and the three grandchildren of the Stockmans sold most of the family furnishings after the death of their mother Ruth, the only child of George and Eleanor.  Sadly, no photos are permitted of the interior of the Stockman House.  Despite this tour being a bit disappointing, we had a fantastic time visiting Mason City.

What a bummer that we could only photograph the exterior of the Stockman House.

The next day we left Mason City and headed to our Harvest Host, Acres of Promise, located in Fredericksburg, Iowa.  This small rural homestead has a huge, level driveway and firm, manicured grass to provide easy maneuvering and parking.  It had fresh and delicious seasonal veggies, honey, and raspberries for purchase.  Best of all was the warmth and kindness that exuded from Mary, Tim, Lowell, and CC the kitten.  Mary greeted us with homemade energy bars and a smile that could light the darkest room.  The level of hospitality, generosity, and fellowship bestowed upon us transformed us from acquaintances to feeling like family.  We have visited many wonderful Harvest Hosts, but Acres of Promise is one of the few who have earned my coveted Rambling RV Rat 5-cheese award, times 2!   Staying at Acres of Promise was the perfect way to complete our tour of the State of Iowa.

 

    

Mom baked a cheesecake that we shared with this wonderful family.

Mary, Tim, and CC (short for Camping Cat).

 Time for me to sign off, but I'll talk to you again soon!