>> SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, HAS QUITE AN INDUSTRIAL HISTORY.

THERE WERE A LOT OF INDUSTRIES HERE THAT PEOPLE MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH, COLLIERS MAGAZINE WAS PRINTED HERE INTO THE 1950s, INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER HAD A MASSIVE PLANT, BUILDING FARM EQUIPMENT.

THERE WAS A CAR MANUFACTURER, TOO, A CAR COMPANY BY THE NAME OF WESCOTT, AND HE BUILT A VERY INTERESTING HOUSE EARLY IN THE 20th CENTURY.

WE'RE GOING TO VISIT TODAY AND LEARN ALL ABOUT IT.

[ music ] >> HELLO, MARTA, HOW ARE YOU?

>> I'M GOOD.

HOW ARE YOU, JEFF?

>> GOOD TO SEE.

>> YOU GREAT TO SEE YOU.

>> HERE WE ARE IN FRONT OF A REALLY WONDERFUL PIECE OF ARCHITECTURE.

TELL ME ABOUT THE HOUSE AND WHO DESIGNED IT.

>> WELL, IT'S REALLY TRULY REMARKABLE FOR OHIO TO HAVE THIS HOUSE.

IT WAS DESIGNED BY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT WHO IS PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS ARCHITECT FOR SURE IN AMERICA.

SO IT'S A PRAIRIE STYLE HOME WHICH WAS HIS KIND OF SIGNATURE STYLE FOR THE EARLY PHASE OF HIS CAREER AND THE HOUSE WAS DESIGNED BETWEEN 1906 AND 1908.

>> NOW, WHY WAS IT CALLED PRAIRIE STYLE?

>> YOU KNOW, THIS ACTUALLY WAS NOT COINED BY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HIMSELF AND THERE WAS A GROUP OF ARCHITECTS WHO WERE KIND OF HAD THINGS IN COMMON IN TERMS OF STYLE OF THE ARCHITECTURE, SO THE BEAUTIFUL HORIZONTAL LINES THESE HOUSES HUG A HILL OR EARTH, HOW THEY KIND OF COME NATURALLY OUT OF THE LAND AS OPPOSED TO VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURE WHICH WAS MUCH MORE VERTICAL.

>> NOW, TELL ME ABOUT THE WESCOTTS.

THEY WERE DARING IN DOING THIS.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THEY WERE VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN INNOVATION.

THEY WERE PURSUING THEIR OWN CAR COMPANY.

>> THAT WAS THEIR BUSINESS WAS BUILDING AUTOMOBILES, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> YES, THEY CAME TO SPRINGFIELD BECAUSE OF -- ACTUALLY PRODUCING AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY AND BURTON WAS PROMINENT BUT IT SEEMS LIKE HIS PASSION WAS THE CAR.

>> WELL, THE BUILDING HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RESTORED, BUT I UNDERSTAND IT HAD KIND OF A CHECKERED HISTORY, TOO.

>> YES.

WELL, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE TO SOME EXTENT THAT FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S HOUSE WOULD FALL IN SUCH DISREPAIR, BUT IT WAS IN PRIVATE HANDS AND FROM TIME TO TIME YOU HAD OWNERS THAT PERHAPS WEREN'T AWARE OF ITS SIGNIFICANCE.

SO AFTER WORLD WAR II IT WAS DIVIDED INTO APARTMENTS AND THAT WAS A BIG TRANSITION FOR THE HOUSE.

THANK GOODNESS IN EARLY 2000 THE TEAM WAS PUT TOGETHER AND RESOURCES BECAME AVAILABLE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THIS MULTIMILLION DOLLAR RESTORATION.

>> SO IT'S A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WAS FORMED HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> SUPPORTED BY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR ALL THIS BACKGROUND INFORMATION.

I UNDERSTAND THE HOUSE IS A LOT BETTER BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THE ACTUAL PLACE.

>> OF COURSE.

>> OH, WOW.

YES.

THIS IS NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER'S VICTORIAN MANSION.

THIS JUST IS SO RADIANT.

>> SPECTACULAR.

>> TELL ME WHAT WAS HERE.

CLEARLY IT'S BEEN RESTORED TO THE CONDITION IT WAS WHEN WRIGHT FINISHED THE PLACE, BUT YOU SAID IT HAD BEEN CHANGED A LOT.

WHAT WAS HERE AND WHAT WASN'T?

>> THEY GOT RID OF THE TABLE, THEY GOT RID OF THE BASEBOARD, THEY COVERED THE ORIGINAL PAINT SO IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS IN THE BEGINNING.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE RESTORATION CREW WAS A GROUP OF HOPEFUL DREAMERS THAT SOMEHOW MANAGED TO PERSEVERE AND IT WAS JUST UNBELIEVABLE EFFORT.

>> THEY MUST HAVE HAD SOME KIND OF GUIDANCE, PHOTOGRAPHS OR DRAWINGS OR SOMETHING.

WHAT DID THEY WORK FROM SO THEY KNEW THEY WERE DOING IT RIGHT WHEN THEY DID THE RESTORATION?

>> THEY HAD A BEAUTIFUL SET OF CLOSE TO 50 DRAWINGS INCLUDING A DRAWING OF THE TABLE AND SOME FURNITURE THAT HE DESIGNED FOR THE HOUSE.

>> WHERE DID THOSE DRAWINGS COME FROM?

>> THE FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT FOUNDATION MADE IT AVAILABLE TO US.

THERE IS A FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT BUILDING CONSERVANCY THAT IS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT ACTUALLY STEPPED IN AND PURCHASED THE HOUSE FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER TO SECURE IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND THEN THEY TRANSFERRED IT AND SOLD TO IT TO THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED NONPROFIT.

>> THAT'S THE NONPROFIT HERE IN SPRINGFIELD?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

BUT IT TOOK NATIONAL COLLABORATION TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

>> IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS A RESCUE AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME.

THIS IS THE DINING ROOM, THE SIDEBOARD, THE DINING TABLE.

TYPICAL WRIGHT, LIGHTING FIXTURES AS PART OF THE TABLE, THE CHAIRS THAT YOU CAN'T SIT IN UNLESS YOU ARE A ROBOT, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

>> WE SAY LADIES WERE WEARING THEIR CORESETS SO THEY WERE STILL ANYWAY.

>> I'M READY TO SEE ANOTHER SPACE.

>> LET'S GO TO THE LIVING ROOM.

>> OH, WHAT A FIREPLACE.

>> YEAH, IT'S AMAZING THAT IT SURVIVED.

IT WAS NOT TOUCHED MUCH EXCEPT WHEN THIS WAS TURNED INTO APARTMENTS, YOU CAN SEE SOME VERTICAL MARKS HERE AND THERE, BUT THE BRICK IS ORIGINAL, IT'S CALLED ROMAN BRICK SO IT'S SLENDER AND LONGER.

THAT'S WHAT WRIGHT REALLY FAVORED FOR HIS HOMES.

SO, AGAIN, THAT EMPHASIS ON HORIZONTAL LINES.

>> THESE BENCHES WITH THE LONG CUSHIONS, TALL BACKS, THEY ARE NOT ORIGINAL.

>> THEY WERE A PART OF ORIGINAL SETUP.

OVER TIME, AGAIN, A LOT OF CHANGES HAPPENED AND THEY WERE AT SOME POINT GONE, REMOVED, BUT, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO ORIGINAL DRAWINGS, THEY RECREATED EVERYTHING AS FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT PLANNED AND THAT WAS KIND OF THE HALLMARK OF HIS DESIGN, HE CALLED THEM INGLE NOOK BENCHES AND THOSE WERE THOSE COZY PLACES WHERE THE FAMILY COULD SIT AROUND THE FIREPLACE AND THE FIREPLACE WAS SO IMPORTANT.

THAT WAS A SYMBOLIC CENTER OF THE HOME.

>> SO THESE WERE BUILT IN BUT THERE WAS MOVABLE FURNITURE AND YOU REALLY HAD TO HAVE -- DID YOU HAVE TO HAVE REPRODUCTIONS MADE OF ALL OF THE MOVABLE FURNITURE?

>> YES, THOSE BEAUTIFUL PIECES LIKE THE DINING TABLE, LIKE THE LIBRARY TABLE IN THE RECEPTION ROOM, THEY WERE ALL RECREATED FROM THE DRAWINGS.

>> THE RECEPTION ROOM IS THE THIRD SPACE HERE ON THE FIRST FLOOR, IS THAT CORRECT?

>> YES.

>> WHY DON'T WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.

>> OF COURSE.

>> LEAD THE WAY.

SO THIS IS THE RECEPTION ROOM, GUESTS WOULD VISIT.

>> YES, THAT'S WHERE THEY WOULD ENTER THIS HOUSE AND THERE WAS THIS BIG WOW FACTOR HERE.

>> I NOTICE THERE'S LEADED GLASS, THAT'S ALL REPRODUCTION, TOO, IS THAT CORRECT?

>> YES, ALL FROM THE DRAWINGS.

THERE WAS ONE PHOTO, A HISTORIC PHOTO THAT SHOWED A CHINA CABINET THAT HAS THE SAME PATTERN, BUT ALL OF THAT WAS RECREATED BY REGIONAL AND LOCATED AT CRAFTSMEN.

>> WE HAVE HAD A GOOD LOOK AT THE DOWN STAIRS BUT THERE IS AN UPSTAIRS.

CAN WE TAKE A LOOK?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

LET'S GO.

[ music ] >> THAT'S QUITE A SKYLIGHT.

I ASSUME THAT WAS MISSING, TOO, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.

>> WELL, SO THIS WAS THE BIG SURPRISE THAT IT ACTUALLY SURVIVED ALL THOSE YEARS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO JUST, YOU KNOW, FIX A COUPLE THINGS, BUT THE GLASS WAS IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE AND THANK GOODNESS.

>> WE ARE ON THE SECOND FLOOR.

TELL ME WHAT THE ARRANGEMENT IS HERE.

WE HAVE BEDROOMS.

>> YES, WE HAVE SIX BEDROOMS AND AS YOU GO FROM THE BIGGEST ONE, YOU GO THROUGH SMALLER AND SMALLEST OF COURSE ARE FOR SERVANTS.

THEY HAD TWO LADIES LIVING HERE FULL-TIME WITH THEM TAKING CARE OF THEM.

>> LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE MAJOR ROOMS.

>> SOUNDS GOOD.

>> WELL, THIS CERTAINLY IS ONE OF THE MAJOR BEDROOMS.

NOW, THIS WAS AN ERA WHEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES DIDN'T NECESSARILY SHARE THE SAME BED, SAME ROOM.

THEY HAD SEPARATE BEDROOMS.

DO YOU SUSPECT THAT'S THE CASE HERE?

>> WE BELIEVE THAT THAT'S THE CASE AND IT'S REALLY AMAZING IN TERMS OF ARCHITECTURE HOW THESE TWO BEDROOMS ARE LIKE A MIRRORED IMAGE.

>> THERE IS A BATHROOM HERE AND THEN THERE IS A DOOR OUT ON TO A PORCH.

YOU SAID THAT'S A SLEEPING PORCH?

>> SLEEPING PORCH, YES.

AND THEY ACTUALLY APPARENTLY AT THE TIME THEY WERE PROMOTING THE IDEA OF SLEEPING PORCH AS A HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE TO SPEND THE NIGHT SO THAT WAS DEFINITELY USED BY THE FAMILY.

>> I ASSUME IN THE SUMMER WHEN IT WAS HOT, THERE WAS NO AIR CONDITIONING IN THOSE DAYS.

>> YES.

>> OUTSIDE IT COULD BE A LITTLE COOLER.

YOU'VE DONE A FABULOUS JOB HERE, IT IS A WONDERFUL RESTORATION OF A GREAT HOUSE.

NOW, THE HOURS IT'S OPEN ARE WHAT?

>> IT'S BEST TO REFER TO OUR WEBSITE, SIGN UP FOR A TOUR, BECAUSE WE OFFER GUIDED TOURS AND THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO EXPERIENCE THE HOUSE.

OF COURSE, IN ADDITION WE ALSO SERVE AS A CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN SO WE DO ALL KINDS OF PROGRAMMING WITH SCHOOLS, WITH KIDS AND ADULTS, DOING ALL KINDS OF WORKSHOPS THAT FOCUS ON DESIGN EDUCATION.

THAT'S JUST AN EXTENSION, I THINK, OF THE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION THAT THE FAMILY LEFT US.

>> I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO PUT IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR A REALLY GREAT TOUR.

>> WELL, I HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU TO FINISH THIS OFF.

>> I LIKE SURPRISES.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SHOW ME?

>> WELL, LET'S GO.

>> OH, MY.

IS THIS A REAL WESCOTT?

>> YES, IT IS.

>> TELL ME THE TRUTH.

>> THAT'S OUR SURPRISE.

>> I HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE OF THESE.

THIS IS WONDERFUL.

>> IT IS.

IT'S VERY RARE.

IT'S 1920, WESCOTT CAR, SO IT WAS PRODUCED RIGHT HERE IN SPRINGFIELD WHEN THE WESCOTTS LIVED AT THEIR FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOME.

>> WHAT A WONDERFUL MACHINE.

>> WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A RIDE?

>> OH, WELL, NO, I'M NOT INTERESTED.

I WOULD LOVE A RIDE.

I REALLY WOULD.

JUST HOP IN?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

GO AHEAD.

>> HELLO.

>> HEY.

>> OH, THIS IS WONDERFUL.

>> THE SEATS ARE KIND OF HARD.

>> OH, THAT'S OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S GO.

[ music ]