Laurent House, Rockford, Illinois - Frank Lloyd Wright's "Little Gem"

Frank Lloyd Wright designed an accessible Usonian home for Kenneth Laurent, a paraplegic, and his wife, Phyllis, in 1949.  Three years later, the Laurents moved into a completely accessible home, designed to harmonize with its natural surroundings and allow Ken Laurent to live and work in comfort.

The Laurent House was decades ahead of its time.  Long before the ADA was signed into law, Wright designed a home with switches, desks, fireplaces and bathing facilities that Ken Laurent could use with ease.  This one-of-a-kind home will open to public tours in June 2014, but I was lucky enough to be able to visit it today.

Photo copyright 2013 Nancy Parode / Old Line Photography