Famous Architects With Designs in the Oak Park Area
If you love architecture, you’ve landed in the right place. Oak Park, IL, and the near west suburbs serve as an open-air classroom where Prairie School masterpieces line tree-filled streets and landmark public works continue to vibrate with daily activity.
Use this guide to experience the iconic work of these architects and others who drew inspiration from their surroundings in Oak Park and beyond:
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959): Leader of the Prairie School architecture movement. Emphasized horizontality, open plans, and integration with the landscape.
George W. Maher (1864–1926): A Wright contemporary, known for his Motif-Rhythm decorative logic.
E. Roberts (1866–1953): Prolific Oak Park and River Forest architect who created approachable Prairie and Arts and Crafts hybrids on quiet streets.
William Drummond (1876–1946): A Wright associate who later produced a strong independent portfolio that includes River Forest Village Hall.
John S. Van Bergen (1885–1969): Refined, later-period Prairie School figure known for suburban residences.
Marion Mahony Griffin (1871–1961): One of the Prairie School’s first female designers, her illustrations defined the school’s graphic identity.
Frederick Law Olmsted (1822–1903): Landscape architect behind Riverside’s 1869 plan, designed in partnership with Calvert Vaux.
TOWN-BY-TOWN OVERVIEW
Oak Park served as Frank Lloyd Wright’s home base during his formative years and still contains the world’s largest concentration of Wright's Prairie School structures. In neighboring River Forest, you’ll find a wide range of styles, including Gothic Revival, Victorian, Tudor Revival, and Craftsman, sitting alongside works by Wright and his contemporaries.
In Riverside, marvel at Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision of planned community design, praised for its winding scenic streets and open parks. In La Grange and Forest Park, walkable neighborhoods feature Prairie School architecture along with modern designs and unique buildings that reflect the area’s distinct heritage.
OAK PARK: PRAIRIE SCHOOL GROUND ZERO
Birthplace of the Prairie School style, Oak Park, IL, is a crucial location for understanding Frank Lloyd Wright's career and his evolving architectural philosophy. Key village landmarks include the Unity Temple at 875 Lake Street and the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio at the corner of Forest and Chicago Avenues, where the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust offers guided and audio tours as well as maps for self-guided tours to help you identify buildings designed by Wright and his contemporaries. Residential streets read like an architecture textbook; look for Prairie style’s trademark art glass, low-pitched or flat roofs with deep eaves, integrated landscapes, and long rows of large windows that emphasize horizontality.
Refuel in the Hemingway District or Downtown Oak Park, home to cafés and restaurants that offer diverse dishes and unique dining experiences.
Highlights
While Cheney House (520 North East Avenue) initially appears to be a single-story residence, Wright’s tall Roman brick wall surrounding the front terrace hides the lower level and conceals the home’s full two-story elevation.
Considered one of Wright’s greatest residential designs, the Heurtley House (318 Forest Avenue) has a low-hipped roof with broad eaves that shelter the residence. The horizontal form of the building is further emphasized by the use of two colors of Roman brick, laid in alternating, projecting rows, and a continuous band of leaded glass casement on the upper level of the house.
At Pleasant Home (217 Home Avenue), architect George W. Maher interpreted Wright’s Prairie ideals through his Motif-Rhythm ornament system — a design approach that repeats a single motif (like a flower or geometric shape) throughout the structure for visual unity.
RIVER FOREST: QUIET STREETS, BIG NAMES
River Forest, IL, is a quiet residential neighborhood with an extensive National Historic District that showcases Prairie School, Victorian, Tudor, and Colonial Revival homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Look for classic Prairie style scaled up for larger lots, with decorative brickwork, terra cotta ornamentation, and streets where homes from different architectural eras sit side by side.
Highlights
Built in 1894–95, Winslow House (515 Auvergne Drive) is a National Historic Landmark that was Wright’s first major commission as an independent architect, and it shows the beginnings of the Prairie School style.
Ben Badenoch House (555 Edgewood Place) was built by William E. Drummond in 1945, after the Prairie School movement fell out of favor. This elegant cottage blends well with the town’s architectural diversity.
A few houses away, Drummond’s own home, now known as William E. Drummond House (559 Edgewood Place), is often considered one of the finest Prairie homes not designed by Wright himself.
Keystone Avenue offers block after block of 19th- and 20th-century architectural styles. Explore River Forest with our detailed historic house tour.
RIVERSIDE: OLMSTED’S PLANNED LANDSCAPE AND PRAIRIE ICONS
Recognized as a National Historic Landmark, Riverside, IL, is celebrated for its innovative landscape and architectural design by Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner Calvert Vaux. The village serves as an outdoor museum representing more than 150 years of iconic American architecture, with over 80 landmark structures among its distinctive cobblestone downtown streets and along the scenic Des Plaines River.
A walking tour takes you past ornate Victorian homes by William Le Baron Jenney and Joseph Lyman Silsbee, along with early Prairie-era residences by Frank Lloyd Wright and other respected architects. Curvilinear streets flow naturally within the land’s contours, rather than following a grid; large interconnected parks and triangular greens at intersections create an open pastoral feel; and original 19th-century gas-lit street lamps still illuminate these charming streets.
Highlights
The Arcade Building (1 Riverside Road) was Riverside's first commercial building, designed in the Gothic style by Frederick Clarke Withers.
William T. Allen Residence (84 Riverside Road) is a notable example of Italianate design by William Le Baron Jenney.
Riverside Town Hall (27 Riverside Road), designed by George Ashby, housed the village’s first official government offices and is representative of the Châteauesque style.
Riverside Public Library (1 Burling Road), designed by architects Conner, O'Connor, and Martin in 1930, is an example of Tudor Revival style.
Avery Coonley House (281 Bloomingbank Road) demonstrates Wright's asymmetrical Prairie form with a low-pitched roof, wide eaves, and a tile wall, complemented by art-glass windows.
LA GRANGE: PRAIRIE IN THE GRID
Notable buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in downtown La Grange, IL, include Stone Avenue Station and the Village Hall, both designed in the Georgian Revival style. Look for unique elements such as turreted and bay-windowed houses, asymmetrical facades, and decorative elements typical of Victorian and Queen Anne designs; vernacular homes with terra-cotta roofs and ornate ornamentation; and significant designs by notable architects including Frank Lloyd Wright.
Set aside some time for relaxation, explore the excellent La Grange dining scene, and browse La Grange’s trendy home and clothing boutiques.
Highlights
Robert Emmond House (109 South 8th Avenue) shows Wright’s shift from shingle and Queen Anne styles toward Prairie’s horizontality.
211 South La Grange Road, a “bootleg" house designed by Wright while he was working for Adler & Sullivan, features pronounced intersecting gable roofs and a front gable with a Palladian window over twin bays.
Clarke Edward Warren House (109 South Spring), designed by J. L. Tilton, blends classical elements with a mansard roof over a basic foursquare design.
FOREST PARK: A MIX OF CULTURES AND ERAS
With a charming small-town main street, Forest Park is rich with late 19th- and early 20th-century architecture, as well as various modern structures.
While it hosts no major Wright commissions, Forest Park’s proximity and architectural blend make it a relaxed “bookend” stop to Prairie-focused walks in Oak Park and River Forest. Forest Park’s restaurants, bars, and nightlife offer a lively complement to your architecture tour of Oak Park and beyond.
PRACTICAL TIPS
Start at an anchor structure to orient yourself before exploring the surrounding neighborhoods. In Oak Park, we suggest Unity Temple or Pleasant Home — and if you have time, stop by the Oak Park River Forest Museum to get a deeper sense of the area’s history.
Weekdays bring quieter streets; weekends pair well with open-house or guided tour schedules.
Set your course town by town based on proximity—Oak Park is adjacent to River Forest; Riverside is 10-15 minutes by car; La Grange is another 10-12 minutes; and Forest Park is 5-7 minutes back in the direction of Oak Park.
Spring and fall provide the best light and clearest views; summer foliage creates beautiful frames but partially obscures views.
Book interior tour experiences through established organizations such as the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, the Pleasant Home Foundation, and the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation.
Remember that most of these sites are private homes, so enjoy the views from the sidewalk and be respectful of neighbors and residents—park legally, keep your voice low, and avoid posting home addresses.
EXPLORE ICONIC DESIGN IN OAK PARK AND BEYOND
Whether you’re a Wright devotee or looking to discover a new favorite, these neighborhoods in Oak Park and beyond reward slow walks and curiosity. Be sure to tag your route #ExploreOakPark when you share your favorite façade, and we’ll keep adding architect-led walks all year.