Roll up, roll up! The Wright and Like Tour 2023 visits Milwaukee

It's almost time for the Wright and Like Tour 2023 in Milwaukee. For the second time following its pandemic-induced two-year pause in 2020 and 2021, the Wright in Wisconsin organization is sponsoring its popular tour event, set to take place on 29 July 2023.  Now in its 24th year overall, the tour features homes and other structures located in and around Milwaukee, specifically the communities of Bayside, Fox Point, River Hills and Shorewood - and it is all curated to celebrate and appreciate the work of 20th century modernist architecture master, Frank Lloyd Wright. 

Wright and Like Tour 2023: the highlights

While, the 'Wright' part of the tour may feel self-explanatory, given the event's overall theme, the 'Like' part is more unusual. It is a section of the tour that refers to homes and structures related to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, but designed by other architects. Most of the 'Like' sites for this year’s tour are Usonian in design and concept; one of them this year, for example, is a 21st century interpretation of the mid-century modernist style. This combination ensures a broad mixture of visits for the tour, according to Wright in Wisconsin representative, Bill Swan. 

'The ‘Like’, is sometimes apprentices of Wright. Sometimes there are people who were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and learned his lessons very well. Sometimes they’re current architects who have worked on remodelling Wright buildings and now they're out on their own as an architect. The ‘Like’ can mean different things depending on the architect involved,' Swan said. 

Two original, Wright-designed projects on the tour are located in close proximity to one another at Burnham Block: the fully restored Model B-1 and the Two Flat Model C, which is currently under restoration. Both are American System-Built Home (ASBH) designs that date to 1916 and have been owned and operated in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Burnham Block, Inc., since 2017.  Gift shop items along with rare and collectible books will be available for purchase there.

The third ASBH Wright design on the tour is the Elizabeth Murphy House/Model A203 constructed in 1917. Its homeowners have continued restoration of their private home since it was last featured in the 2017 tour, ensuring fresh reveals and never-seen-before insights this year.

Another Wright design for this year’s tour is the Joseph Mollica House/Erdman Pre-Fab I, completed in 1959. It is the largest of the Marshall Erdman Prefab homes built, and it features a reversed floorplan of the Van Tamelen House, which was featured in the 2022 Madison tour. The final stop is the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church by Wright, constructed between 1956 and 1961.

Tour participants will also receive an illustrated booklet that describes each site, including history about the projects they will experience – as well as information on the original homeowners of the residential schemes. 

wrightinwisconsin.org