Henry J Allen House

Wichita City, Sedgwick County, KS

At the urging of Elsie N. Allen, wife of Kansas Governor, U.S. Senator, and newspaper owner Henry J. Allen, Frank Lloyd Wright (1869-1959) was commissioned to design the couple's College Hill residence [1] and garden house. The design process began in 1915 and the house was occupied by early 1918. Constructed of buff brick with Carthage limestone trim and French tile roof, it is the last of Wright's Prairie style residences. This style emphasized simplicity and clean outline. It utilized wide masonry masses and low horizontal lines that blended with the flat landscape. Wright also designed the Allens' furniture in collaboration with George M. Niedecken, some of which is on display in the house.

1. Historic Preservation Office, Metropolitan Planning Department, City of Wichita, KS, Discover Historic Wichita: A Listing of Wichita's Registered Historic Landmarks and Districts, 2011, www.wichita.gov, accessed April, 2016.

Street Names
Roosevelt Street North