Inspired by Westcott Family

From launching their car company to embracing early radio technology, the Westcotts matched their architect’s curiosity for new ideas. John Westcott was just shy of his fifth birthday in the fall of 1908 when he and his family moved into the newly completed Westcott House. After World War I, John became interested in amateur radio and started operating an 800-W spark gap transmitter from his bedroom. His call number was W8AGA. The name "Westcott Wire" celebrates the inquisitive spirit and endless creativity of the Westcott family and their world-famous architect.

Restoration in Progress

Brett Boblitt and his company QC Painting has been our partner for many years. They are responsible for keeping all of the exterior wood in good shape by maintaining a regular schedule of upkeep and repair. This includes applying stain on the trim around the house, windows, and pergola. We have kept them especially busy this summer!

We also work with the Centennial Preservation Group and Garry Whitley when more extensive restoration work is required for our exterior wood. Above is a link to a short video with Garry as he walks us through the steps of repairing and preserving the original wood.

Experience Wright's Architecture through An Immersive Program Presented by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy

Perhaps you have been fortunate to attend some of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy's annual conferences in the past. It's a great mix of excursions to privately-owned Wright homes that are otherwise unavailable to the public, an opportunity to revisit and get more in-depth access to the public sites, and a stimulating intellectual debate on why Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is worth preserving (and urgently so) now. Special places designed with such incredible creative force are far and few in between, so whenever you get access to this work, you have an opportunity for an experience that will truly enrich your life.

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Summer Tour Series: Upcoming Tours

Our Summer Tour Series continues to expand our understanding of the architecture and history of the Greater Springfield Region. It's hard to believe that next year we will celebrate 20 years of the series! Stay tuned for some festivities in 2024 - and, in the meantime enjoy some classics, as well as some new programs, this summer!

Westchester Park Walking Tour (originally scheduled on July 1st; postponed due to the weather) Saturday, July 15th at 10am Register

Springfield Burying Ground Tour: Wednesday, July 19th at 5:30pm SOLD OUT

Ferncliff Cemetery Tour (originally scheduled on July 1st; postponed due to the weather) Saturday, July 22nd at 10am Register

Public Art Crawl Virtual Live Tour, Wednesday, August 9th at 5:30pm Register

Rodgers Place Walking Tour (NEW!), Saturday, August 12th at 10:00am Register

Progressive East High Walking Tour, Saturday, August 19th at 10:00am Register

Thank You!!! FLW Birthday Party

Thank you to everyone who attended or supported our annual Frank Lloyd Wright's Birthday Party on June 10th, 2023. We could not have asked for a better weather (a starry night!), a better turnout - 151 lovely guests (we are not sure how the 151st person sneaked in ;-), and a better showcase of support. We raised over $40K to support our ongoing preservation efforts.

View our Event Supporters and Photos

Westcott Design Studio:

It's A Wrap!

We are grateful to the National Endowment for the Arts for the grant support of our Multimedia Design Studio. Students have explored the Westcott House, drew a lot, made collages, took photos, did various design exercises, and engaged in creating a 3D multimedia installation at a historic State Theater.

This past week we took a trip to Mill Run, PA. Upon our arrival, the Fallingwater staff treated us to a design challenge "Holding Up Fallingwater." Students were challenged to create an effective cantilever using nothing but paper and a set of address labels! We stayed at High Meadow, which is a magical place overlooking a meadow that lights up with fireflies at night. We took a guided tour of the Kentuck Knob and Fallingwater, and spent some extra time sketching and drawing on the Fallingwater grounds. Fallingwater study on the right by Sophia Rawley; a study on the left by Carlos Romero.

Westcott Spark Gap Transmitter Exhibited at the Heritage Center

A spark gap transmitter was an early form of radio technology that generated radio waves using an electric spark. A model built by Matt Cline for the Westcott House is currently on loan at the Clark County Historical Society. John Westcott was an amateur radio operator (a fact honored through the name of this newsletter). Matt Cline was one of the people instrumental in the formation of the Westcott non-profit and the efforts to save the Westcott House. He also applied his radio knowledge to construct a model once John Westcott's passion for this technology was discovered. Per Matt Cline, "Regrettably, we have no actual pictures of John's rig, but we know that he was licensed for 800 watts, which was more than a simple static gap transmitter could do for the day and thus, required a rotary gap transmitter. This exhibit is an example of such a rotary gap transmitter. Historical pictures are found of the Westcott house with John's shortwave transmitting and receiving antenna clearly visible in the back yard, so we know he operated from the house with this sort of a transmitter."

Our model is part of a temporary exhibit that looks at the history and development of amateur radio and its role in our community and around the world. This exhibit was curated by the staff of the Clark County Historical Society in partnership with the Clark County Amateur Radio Association (CLARA).

Clark County Historical Society is located at the Heritage Center, a spectacular building that is often a subject of our walking tours. The address is 117 South Fountain Avenue, Springfield, OH 45502.

Visit Heritage Center

In the Westcott Shop

Handcrafted in Portugal, this Omar/Raawii Vase is a multi-functional object made to live throughout your home. Use it to display your favorite flowers or dried branches, or as an eye-catching object. This vase is part of a collection that stems from the long-standing friendship between Nicholai Wiig-Hansen, Creative Director of Raawii and Omar Sosa, graphic designer and publisher of Apartamento magazine. Sosa’s background in graphic design brings precision and a sharp eye for aesthetics to 3D expression in ceramics.

Our online and onsite gift shop features a variety of products inspired by the work of artists, architects and designers. Your purchase directly supports our mission. Visit westcottshop.org.

Reciprocal Membership Site Highlight - Allen House in Wichita, Kansas

Elsie—the wife of governor, senator, and newspaper publisher Henry J. Allen—commissioned Wright to design the couple’s home in College Hill, a newly developed residential neighborhood of Wichita. The last of Wright’s Prairie residences, it simultaneously recalls the early houses of the period and prefigures Wright’s Usonian style of the 1930s. Wright designed the house while working on the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo and the square structure, with its enclosed lily pool and garden, has a notably Japanese aesthetic. The rich exterior is complimented by sumptuous interiors of art glass windows, bookcase doors, and masonry wall joints covered in gold leaf. For more info visit flwrightwichita.org.

Our reciprocal membership program provides two complimentary guided tours of this landmark. You can enjoy reciprocal benefits starting at the Advocate Membership Level ($125), which includes free or discounted access to over 1,300 museums and cultural institutions nationwide through the North American Reciprocal Museum Association and FLW Reciprocal Membership Program. Learn more about the member benefits here.

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