F.L.Wright is known as one of the great architects of all time. In seventy years of practice he built about 430 structures. Long time American architects followed the Europeans but with Wright they managed to draw attention. Although he was locally famous before his forties with shingle style prairie houses, later his genius became widely recognized. Most of his oeuvre consist of private houses. He started his career as a draftsman in the Silsbee office but soon left for Sullivan where he stayed for six years. In the mean time he married Catharine Tobin and built a home in Oak park, his mother and sisters joined them in Chicago. In the office hours he worked for Sullivan in de evenings and nights for himself. Sullivan found out and felt betrayed so Wright had to leave and find his own commissions in the economic hard time of the end of the 19th century. In the first years of independence he tried to "break the box" of rigid architecture and manifested the Prairie school architecture. During this time he built his best houses like Robie and Willits house. Then he left for Europe to prepare a major publication of his work. He was accompanied on his trip by Mrs.Cheney which meant a scandal in these days. After returning and several serious problems he soon left for California. Here he developed a new style in fact he became 'avant la lettre' a Post modern architect. He ended his days in eclecticism.

Rein Saariste