FLW's first commission 1887

[Paul Ringstrom]

Unitarian Chapel for Sioux City, Iowa
https://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/items/show/30705

[DRN]

Donald Leslie Johnson argues in his 2017 book about Wright's early years that the Sioux City design was indeed designed by Wright while in the employ of Joseph Lyman Silsbee, but that this was not a commission in classic sense. Wright had only been working in Silsbee's office for a couple of months when he produced this drawing in the manner of Silsbee as a sketch offered to his Uncle Jenkin, a noted leader in the Unitarian Church in the American Midwest, as an idea for a new congregation's church, that Jenkin had discussed. The design is a mash up of contemporary Silsbee elements and is based in part on Silsbee's design for Unity Chapel in Spring Green. Uncle Jenkin, according to Johnson's research, had an idea to have Unity Chapel in Spring Green be a model or prototype for new Unitarian fellowships then forming throughout the upper Midwest.

Johnson further argues that attribution of the Unity Chapel in Spring Green to Wright in any way or form is incorrect as it was designed prior to Wright's leaving UW in Madison...but Wright did paint walls and ceilings during his last summer working for his uncles. The 1887 Hillside Home School house was in design just as Wright arrived at Silsbee's. It is Johnson's position that Wright may have done some drafting relative to the project, but that the design was Silsbee's alone.

https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Lloyd-Wrig ... oks&sr=1-1

The notes in this book are numerous and fascinating...Wright's move to Chicago was very much based on the Lloyd Jones commissions with Silsbee and that Wright was initially supported and later greatly benefitted from Uncle Jenkin's myriad of connections in the Unitarian world in terms of employment, clients, and acquaintances.