Labrecque - Who Was Frank Lloyd Wright?

Frank Lincoln Wright was born June 8, 1867, in Richland Center, Wisconsin. His middle name was a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, who had died two years earlier. Franks father, William Carey Wright, was a preacher and a musician. William Wright already had three other childrenCharles William, George Irving, and Elizabeth Ameliawith his first wife, who had died a few years earlier. William married Anna in 1866.

Franks mother, Anna Lloyd Jones, had ten brothers and sisters. Her family had moved to rural Wisconsin from the country of Wales. Her fatherFranks grandfather, Richard Joneshad been a preacher in Wales. He wanted more freedom to preach as well as more land to farm. But when the family moved to Wisconsin, there were no houses to buy. Instead the Jones family had to build their own. This role fell to Annas oldest brother, Thomas.

Thomas taught himself how to design and build a home for his own family.

At the time, many people were moving to the area and buying farmland. They needed somebody to build their houses for them. Thomass skills were soon in demand. Anna decided that if she ever had a son, she wanted him to have the same useful skills as her brother.

With that in mind, Anna hung drawings of English cathedralslarge, fancy churcheson the walls of their home when Frank was a baby. She wanted to inspire his young brain!

During Franks childhood years, William moved his family all over the country looking for work. He worked as a music teacher and as a pastor for different churches. The family lived in Iowa, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, all before Frank was ten years old. By then Frank had two more sistersJane and Margaret Ellen, who was called Maginel.

William only made a small salary as a preacher and a teacher. He usually had many debts to pay. The large family never seemed to have enough food and clothes for everybody.

Frank did not have the same interests as his sisters, so he often played alone. And it was hard to make friends with neighborhood boys because Franks family moved around so much. He turned to art and music to fill his days. These were things he could enjoy on his own. He spent hours drawing with colored pencils and learning to play the viola and the piano.

Franks mother adored him. She was convinced he would grow up to be a great and famous man. Frank began to believe this about himself, too.

Even though money was tight, Franks mother still saved enough to buy her son Froebel blocks for his ninth birthday. The blocks helped teach Frank about geometry, math, colors, and shapes.

The constant moving and money troubles were very difficult for the Wright family. In 1878, the family moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where Anna would be near her brothers and sisters for help and support. Her family welcomed them back home.

FRIEDRICH FROEBEL
(17821852)

BORN IN GERMANY, FRIEDRICH FROEBEL BECAME A TEACHER IN HIS EARLY TWENTIES. HE BELIEVED HIS STUDENTS SHOULD LEARN BY PLAYING, NOT BY SITTING AT DESKS AND LISTENING TO GROWNUPS TALK.