After being added to the State Register of Historic Places last year, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Spring Green Restaurant at Riverview Terrace, 5607 County Road C, just up and across the road from Taliesin, has now also been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The building was landmarked by Wisconsin Historical Society in November and it was added to the National Park Service register on Feb. 8.
These days, the building serves as a visitors center for Wright's Taliesin home, but it wasn't built for that purpose.
Wright bought the site along the Wisconsin River where State Highway 23 meets County Road C and planned it as a restaurant called Riverview Terrace.
Initially meant to be a seasonal venue when it was designed in 1953, by the following year Wright pivoted to make it a year-round restaurant and construction began in 1957.
Two years later, however, Wright died at the age of 92 and progress on the restaurant stopped.
Work recommenced in 1966 when the property was bought by the Wisconsin River Land Development Corporation, which tapped Taliesin Associated Architects – founded by Wright's son-in-law, architect William Wesley Peters, and fellow FLW acolytes after their mentor's death – to finish the work.
The Spring Green Restaurant opened in the building in 1967 with a grand opening event that, according to WHS, coincided with a visit by first lady “Lady Bird” Johnson to meet Olgivanna, Wright's widow.
The restaurant continued to operate until 1992. It was sold the following year to Taliesin Preservation, which converted it to the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, where folks like my wife and I can buy handmade Frank Lloyd Wright marionettes that terrorize our children.
The facility has a cafe and gift shop and is also where tours meet. It is also home to the offices of Taliesin Preservation.
“This building has such a fascinating history," said Taliesin Preservation Executive Director Carrie Rodamaker. "The driving force behind it was for Wright to give back to the community and valley where he lived for the majority of his life.
"We are thrilled about its recognition at the state level—and now nationally.”
According to WHS, "the midsection of the building connects two hills to form a bridge-like structure. The metal truss that spans the length of the building was salvaged from the collapsed Highway 23 bridge that connected the Wyoming Valley to Spring Green. It overlooks County Road C and the Wisconsin River, blending harmoniously into the landscape as Wright intended.
"The interior boasts a vaulted ceiling, expansive windows, red oak paneling, and a fireplace. Olgivanna was responsible for selecting the furnishings and various elements of the décor."
Read more about Spring Green Restaurant here.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
