National Historic Landmark

Johnson, Herbert F., House

Wind Point, Racine County, Wisconsin
Listed
January 8, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75000076

About this property

Wingspread (also known as the Herbert F. Johnson House) is a conference center and house in Wind Point, Wisconsin, United States. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, it was built between 1938 and 1939 for the businessman Herbert Fisk Johnson Jr., the president of S.C. Johnson. With a floor area of 14,000 square feet (1,300 m2), it is one of the largest residences designed by Wright, who also called the building the last of his Prairie style houses. Since 1960, the property has been a conference center operated by the Johnson Foundation. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a National Historic Landmark. Wingspread stands near the center of the Wind Point peninsula on Lake Michigan north of the city of Racine. The facade is largely made of brick, with stucco and sandstone courses and red roof tiles. It consists of a central hub, from which four wings radiate. The living room at the center is a domed structure, with clerestory windows on the sides, a central elliptical chimney, and a viewing platform at the top. There are separate wings for the master bedrooms, children's rooms, service rooms, and guest bedrooms. All of the wings are one story tall, except for the master bedroom wing, which has a mezzanine level. The house was built between 1938 and 1939. The Johnson family donated the property to the Johnson Foundation in 1960 as an international educational conference facility, which is also open to the public for tours. The conference center was dedicated on June 24, 1961, several months after hosting its first conferences in November 1960. It was hosting 100 conferences a year by the 1980s, with meetings focusing on education, family affairs, society, and international relations. The roof was repaired in the 1990s following deterioration.

Location

Wind Point, Racine County, Wisconsin
42.78082, -87.77181

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Windpoint Light Station
Industrial
0.7 mi
Melvin Avenue Residential Historic District
Listed
1.9 mi
KATE KELLY (Shipwreck)
Listed
2.4 mi
Northside Historic District of Cream Brick Workers' Cottages
Listed
2.5 mi
Jonas, Karel, House
Industrial
3.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Johnson, Herbert F., House listed on the National Register?

Johnson, Herbert F., House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 8, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Johnson, Herbert F., House?

Johnson, Herbert F., House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Johnson, Herbert F., House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Johnson, Herbert F., House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Johnson, Herbert F., House?

The period of significance for Johnson, Herbert F., House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Johnson, Herbert F., House?

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