The Ohio You Don’t Know: Admire Frank Lloyd Wright’s Westcott House in Springfield

In 1926, Burton Westcott died in his home—the most famous residence in Springfield, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright from 1906 to 1908. After Westcott’s death, the house changed hands, including an owner who divided the structure into six apartments in the 1940s. For half a century, the home operated as an apartment complex, concealing much of its architectural greatness. Over time, most people forgot about its former grandeur and provenance. 

By the late 1990s, the building’s owner was struggling to maintain safe living conditions. The unstable structure suffered water and termite damage. Once treasured by all of Springfield, the home was falling apart. Local preservationists dreamed of restoring the home, but only a few historical photos survived. Then, in the early 2000s, the original drawings of the house turned up in Wright’s archives, and for the first time, a restoration project began to feel possible. 

Partnering with a Chicago nonprofit, the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, the Westcott House Foundation began restoring the home in 2001. The daunting project took more than four years to complete and cost nearly $6 million. Today, roughly 45 docents give tours of the gorgeous Westcott House, which charges $20 admission for adults and $17 for seniors, students, military service members, Clark County residents and groups of eight or more. Visitors are advised to book reservations in advance. (The house is also available to rent for private events.) 

During a tour of the home—Wright’s only Prairie-style house in Ohio—Westcott House executive director and curator Marta Wojcik references Wright’s first trip to Japan in 1906. “This house is so influenced by Japanese aesthetics,” she says. “If you pull the cream shade [over the windows], it almost looks like a shoji screen. The windows and the roofline look just like a Japanese temple.” 

The house isn’t as empty as it was when it opened in 2005. A curated selection of custom-made, period-reflective furniture, rugs, lamps and other decorative pieces fill the home. A large hearth centers a free-flowing living space on the first floor that features light fixtures and a dining room table that match Wright’s original drawings. An art-glass skylight bathes the upstairs landing in natural light. 

Burton Wescott moved his family from Richmond, Indiana, to Ohio in 1903 to work as treasurer of Springfield’s American Seeding Machine Co., and the Westcotts moved into their Wright-designed home in 1908. Burton, who also brought the Westcott Motor Car Co. to Springfield, served on the town council and became one of the city’s most prominent citizens. 

While the family’s history provides helpful context for the Westcott House, Wojcik emphasizes the home’s remarkable design elements. “The house is the way it is because of its art—because of architecture,” she says. “History is so important, but really, it's like a beautiful painting first and foremost.”

Visit the Westcott House

 The historic Springfield home is a 0.75-hour drive from Columbus. Go to westcotthouse.org for more information.

This story is from the Ohio You Don’t Know feature in the October 2023 issue of Columbus Monthly.