Frank Lloyd Wright's Rosenbaum House: The Birth And Rebirth of an American Treasure

by Barbara Kimberlin Broach, Donald E. Lambert, Milton Bagby

Frank Lloyd Wright's Rosenbaum House book tells the story of the building's design, construction--which, like so many of Wright's commissions, involved high drama punctuated by humor--remodeling, and restoration. Written with lucid wit and plentifully illustrated with photographs and drawings, it is insightful and entertaining in equal measure.

80 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2006

Reviews

[Alexis || abookandAstory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had the pleasure of visiting the Rosenbaum house twice. After reading this book, I realized that the first time I visited must've been not long after the restoration was completed in 2002. I was a child during that visit, and I assume it was some time between 2003 and 2005. My second visit was around 2019, and it was even more incredible than I remembered.

I picked up this book after stumbling across it in my local library. It is short but dense with information and lively with photographs. It felt like a behind-the-scenes tour, detailing original letters from the Rosenbaum's to Frank Lloyd Wright during the original build and the addition. It was also wonderful to see how diligently the people of Florence worked to repair and preserve this beautiful work of art.

[Jon Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My wife and I had the pleasure of touring this beautifully restored FLW creation earlier this month (March 2021). We found the story of the house, its occupants, and its restoration fascinating so we purchased this book at the gift shop. It is a short read. There is a wealth of information about the construction of the house, its 1948 expansion, and its extensive restoration in the early 2000's. There are a large number of photos, most in color, that show the house's unique features. The book is printed on heavy, slick paper, like a coffee table book, so it has a wonderful tactile feel. If you get the chance, by all means visit the house, and this book will make a nice keepsake.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband and I recently toured this house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright while visiting Florence, AL. We loved the house and its simple, clean design, and all the windows facing the beautiful back yard, not to mention the many bookshelves lining the walls, as seen on the cover of the book! The most shocking feature of the house was its very tiny original kitchen. Building began on the house in 1939. By 1948, the owners, Stanley & Mildred Rosenbaum, requested that Mr. Wright design an addition to the original structure, as they now had three boys, with a fourth baby on the way. A larger kitchen was part of the addition they requested! The Rosenbaums lived in the house for sixty years, until it was sold to the city of Florence to be made into a museum in 1999. At this point, the house was nearly collapsing on itself, and needed a major restoration to return it to its original state of beauty.

This book is very interesting (and even humorous at times!), as was the tour itself. The book chronicles the original building of the house in 1939 through 1940, the addition built in 1948 (at one point during the building of the addition, Mildred stated, "If I get through this summer with my sanity, it will be a miracle. With all the children underfoot in the debris, it's really something.") and the restoration which began in 1999 and completed in 2002. If you are a fan of architecture in any way, I definitely recommend this book, and touring the house as well, if possible!