American System-Built Homes, 2720-22 West Burnham Street, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI

1991 Charles E. Peterson Prize, Entry
Significance: During the early part of his career Frank Lloyd Wright began working on a scheme of low-cost housing for the city dweller called the American System-Built Homes, or more appropriately referred to as the American Readi-Cut System. Wright spent from 1911 to 1917 working on sketches and fully developed working drawings for this series of home designs and a system of prefabrication for their assembly. The size of the file (966 drawings) in the Taliesen archives is proof of the concern of Frank Lloyd Wright to produce beautiful low-cost housing where each home, apartment, or duplex would have its own sense of individuality. Wright once said about this scheme, "Simply selling houses at less cost means nothing at all to me. To sell beautiful houses at less cost means everything." ...
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-44
Survey number: HABS WI-326
Building/structure dates: ca. 1916 Initial Construction