Charnley-Norwood House

Louis Sullivan - Architect of the Charnley-Norwood House

Happy Birthday to architect Louis Sullivan! 🎉

Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect and has been called a "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism." He was an influential architect of the Chicago School, a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an inspiration to the Chicago group of architects who have come to be known as the Prairie School. Along with Wright and Henry Hobson Richardson, Sullivan is one of "the recognized trinity of American architecture."

The phrase "form follows function" is attributed to him, although the idea was theorized by Viollet le Duc who considered that structure and function in architecture should be the sole determinants of form. In 1944, Sullivan was the second architect to posthumously receive the AIA Gold Medal.

While on vacation in the South, Chicago based architect Louis H. Sullivan took a special liking to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. So much so that he decided to invest in waterfront property and immediately designed two neighboring homes there–one for himself and one for his friends, James & Helen Charnley who were also enamored with the idea of a coastal refuge from Chicago’s urban environment and harsh winters. The Charnleys referred to the property as “Charmleigh” meaning Charming Meadow. Although better known for his high-rise urban buildings, Sullivan designed these rural vacation retreats with a long, low orientation that blended into the natural surroundings of the coastal plain which was instrumental in inspiring the career trajectory of his young draftsman Frank Lloyd Wright. The home was later sold to the Fred & Elizabeth Norwood in the summer of 1896.

During the Norwood’s first wintertime visit to the house, tragedy struck in the early morning hours of February 18, 1897, when a fire destroyed the Norwood’s house, but no time was wasted in rebuilding. They followed the original design of the house almost identically, with important improvements under Sullivan’s oversight. The Norwood’s named the property “Bon Silene” meaning Good Salt Water or Good Salt Marsh and would later plant roses of the same name in their garden.

The property sustained major damage when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005. In 2011, the property was purchased by the State of Mississippi and restoration of the house was completed in 2013.

Thank-you WLOX-TV for the feature! Please come visit us and we can show you around! To schedule a tour call 228-234-7298 or email [email protected].

We were on the news! Come visit us soon!

Coast Life: Historic Ocean Springs home laid foundation for modern home designs The roots of the popular home design featuring an open floor plan can be traced back to a house in Ocean Springs.

"Bon Silene Pier." Photo taken in the early 1900's, (Courtesy of MDAH)

BUILT IN 1890 AS THE VACATION HOME OF CHICAGO LUMBER BARON JAMES CHARNLEY, THE HOUSE WAS DESIGNED BY RENOWNED ARCHITECT LOUIS SULLIVAN, "FATHER OF THE SKYSCRAPER," AND HIS YOUNG DRAFTSMAN, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT.

THE ORIGINAL COMPOUND OF BUILDINGS INCLUDED AN OCTAGONAL GUEST COTTAGE, BATH HOUSE, PIER, STABLES, AND BARNS - AND SULLIVAN'S OWN VACATION RESIDENCE NEXT DOOR (DESTROYED BY HURRICANE KATRINA IN 2005).

BON SILENE REPRESENTS A DRAMATIC DEPARTURE FROM THE NORMS OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES OF THE ERA. THE STRONG HORIZONTAL ORIENTATION EMBRACES AND BLENDS WITH THE LANDSCAPE, WHILE THE ROOMS FLOW INTO ONE ANOTHER. THE MATERIALS ARE SIMPLE AND NATURAL. THE EXTENSIVE USE OF GLASS ERASES THE BARRIERS BETWEEN THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SPACES. THESE ELEMENTS WOULD ALL LATER BECOME HALLMARKS OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE.
THE HOUSE MANIFESTS SULLIVAN'S PASSION TO BREAK WITH THE PAST AND RESHAPE AMERICAN RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE WITH GROUND-BREAKING CONCEPTS. IT ALSO INSPIRED SULLIVAN AND WRIGHT'S 1891-92 DESIGN FOR THE CHARNLEYS' CHICAGO MANSION - A BUILDING WRIGHT LATER DESCRIBED AS "THE FIRST MODERN HOUSE IN AMERICA." CHARLEY'S OCEAN SPRINGS PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED IN 1896 BY ANOTHER CHICAGO LUMBER MERCHANT, FREDERICK NORWOOD. NORWOOD NAMED IT "BON SILENE" FOR THE BEAUTIFUL GARDENS OF HERITAGE ROSES PLANTED BY HIS WIFE ELIZABETH. WHEN AN 1897 FIRE DESTROYED THE HOUSE, NORWOOD HAD SULLIVAN IMMEDIATELY REBUILD IT ACCORDING TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN, INCORPORATING RARE CURLY PINE INTO THE WALLS AND CEILINGS.

"Betsy, enjoying a moment of puppy training on the porch of Bon Silene." Bon Silene was the nickname for the Charnley-Norwood Home. Photo taken in the early 1900's. (Courtesy of MDAH)

“Wright and Sullivan shared the opinion that nature should be part of architecture. Sullivan promoted organic designs, bringing nature into an urban setting. Wright, like Sullivan, believed architecture should not dominate nature, but work with it”.

Wright worked for two architectural firms before finding a position at Adler and Sullivan, working with renown architect Louis Sullivan. Wright and Sullivan shared the opinion that nature should be part of architecture. Sullivan promoted organic designs, bringing nature into an urban setting. Wright, like Sullivan, believed architecture should not dominate nature, but work with it. This was a rebellious idea in the era of grand Victorian designs like Queen Anne and Romanesque that were all about dominating the landscape with their height and aesthetic. In a unique twist, Sullivan allowed Wright, still a draftsperson at the firm, to help with the design of the Charnley House in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Draftspeople were not typically involved in the design process, they produced the construction drawings for the firm’s projects. This shows Sullivan’s recognition of Wright’s vision, and how it aligned with his own. Sullivan became Wright’s mentor and respected friend.

Happy Birthday Frank Lloyd Wright! 🥳

Who was Frank Lloyd Wright?

ARGUABLY THE MOST RECOGNIZED NAME IN AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE, WHAT IS HIS BACKSTORY?

Frank Lloyd Wright was born on June 8, 1867 in Richland Center, Wisconsin (later claiming to have been born in 1869), as the first of three children to William and Anna Lloyd Wright. Wright's father was an itinerant minister and pursued several other occupations throughout his life. As a result, the Wright family moved frequently, with William and Anna separating in 1881. Wright struggled in traditional education, dropping out of both high school and college. After leaving the University of Wisconsin-Madison after a semester in 1887, Wright moved to Chicago where he hoped to find work as a draftsman. He carried with him a letter of introduction from his Uncle Jenkin Lloyd Jones to a Chicago based architect, Joseph Lyman Silsbee, who had designed a church for Lloyd Jones. It is during his time with Silsbee's office that Wright would gain an affinity for residential design work. However, he would soon leave Silsbee's office, working briefly for another firm before ending up in 1888 at the offices of Adler & Sullivan, then one of Chicago's premier architecture firms working on what would then be Chicago's tallest building and their largest commission yet, the Chicago Auditorium. The Auditorium would bring national fame to the firm, and Wright was hired "to be a pencil in the master's hand" as he would describe it, task with creating working drawings the ornament of the building.

It was during his time at Adler & Sullivan that Wright would marry for the first time, to Catherine "Kitty" Tobin and start a family that would eventually grow to include six children. To provide long term stability for his growing family, Wright signed a five-year contract with Adler & Sullivan, and received a $5,000 loan from Louis Sullivan. The loan was to buy a lot in the Chicago Suburb of Oak Park, to construct a home of his own design.

However, after a few years he grew weary of this stable life, and wished to make a professional name for himself, seeking ways to support an extravagant lifestyle. He began taking on commission outside of the Adler & Sullivan offices, something that his contract forbade him from doing. These secret commissions were quickly discovered, and Wright was fired on the spot and the balloon payment on the loan was made due immediately.

Following his dismissal, Wright set about adding a studio to his Oak Park home and for the next ten years began perfecting his craft.In 1903, Wright designed a house for the Cheney Family, and began an affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney. In 1909, the pair would secretly escape to Europe leaving their families behind. They returned to the United States the following year, settling in Spring Green, Wisconsin, where Wright set about designing their home which he referred to as Taliesin. In 1914, tragedy struck while Wright was away in Chicago on business. The family's cook murdered Cheney, her two children, three workmen, and a workman's son before setting the house on fire and attempting su***de.

Grief-stricken, Wright became anchorless for the next decade or so and following a disastrous marriage to Miriam Noel in 1923, many thought Wright's best days were behind him. However, his marriage to Olga Lazovich Hinzenburg in 1928 would signal a significant change in his fortunes. She encouraged him to establish a school for draftsmen at Taliesin to study under Wright. Its during this time that Wright began his Usonian House period -his own twist on the growing popularity of the ranch house-that he would continue for the remained of his life. He would publish the first of several autobiographical works in 1932 and spend the remainder of his life working to perfect his image as "world's greatest architect." In 1935, Wright began wintering in Arizona, and would eventually build his residence there naming it "Taliesin West." Frank Lloyd Wright never retired, passing away in 1959 with several open commissions which were finished by Taliesin draftsmen. His remains were initially buried in Wisconsin, but were reinterred at Taliesin West in 1985.

(Image of Wright c. 1888, at 21 years old when he arrived in Chicago seeking work as a draftsman. Image Courtesy Wisconsin Historical Society).

Frank Lloyd Wright's contributions to the Sullivan and Charnley-Norwood houses in Ocean Springs.

Who Designed the Charley-Norwood House?

BOTH LOUIS SULLIVAN AND FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT CLAIMED AUTHORSHIP OF THE HOUSE, AND SULLIVAN'S OWN HOME, ILLUSTRATING THEIR IMPORTANCE TO AMERICA'S ARCHITECTURAL CANON.

Frank Lloyd Wright worked as a draftsman in the office of Adler and Sullivan from 1888 to
1893. Prior to leaving Ocean Springs on his initial visit in March, 1890, Sullivan claimed in his autobiography to have left plans for the two homes with a local builder. In June of 1890, Wright was promoted to chief draftsman at the firm, a position he shared his friend and other Sullivan devotee, George Elmslie. Anxious for financial success and critical acclaim, Wright began accepting independent commission, something his contract with Adler & Sullivan forbade him from doing. Wright tried to cover his tracks, by signing his building permits with names of other draftsmen at the Adler & Sullivan office, but he was eventually found out and fired from his job during the summer 1893. Sullivan, took Wright's breaking of his contract as a personal affront and the two would not speak for another 20 years. As they would not speak again until 1914, it is unlikely that Wright ever knew about the 1897 fire and subsequent reconstruction of the house.

Wright's earliest claimed authorship of the Charley-Norwood House appears in his first autobiography published during 1932. Wright's claim came conveniently after the deaths of Louis Sullivan (1924) the Charleys, (James, 1905; Helen, c.1927) and the Norwoods (Elizabeth, 1912; Fred, 1921.)

Subsequent publications by Wright hint at his lack of knowledge of the house. Both the Charley-Norwood and Sullivans houses were included on Wrights project list for the Museum of Modern Art's Modern Architecture, International Exhibition, in 1932. However, the location given for the houses is Illinois, suggesting Wright did not know the location of the houses.

Ten years later, in another book Wright authored with architectural critic and historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock, Wright identifies a photograph of the Charley-Norwood Stables as being an image of the Louis Sullivan House.

We should not dissuade Wright claim of authorship completely, because it shows that the house was very influential in his career. Wright's career is often viewed through the lens of history. Some of Wright's best-known designs such as the Guggenheim Museum (New York, NY 1959), Fallingwater (Mill Run, PA, 1939) and even the Robie House (Chicago, IL 1909) are all constructed decades after the Charley-Norwood House. When Wright is first exposed to these Ocean Springs projects, he is a 22-year-old college dropout. Much of his work up to that point was very Victorian in nature, with his buildings utilizing the expressed verticality typical of Victorian architecture, over the horizontal lines Wright was exposed to with the Charley-Norwood and Sullivan designs.

Regardless of authorship, Wrights' claims of the design show that he thought the houses to be significant pieces of architecture and wanted their influence on his work to be known.

(Photo Courtesy of MDAH - Sutter Collection)

Love these gorgeous bay windows! I could sit and look out those windows all day 😍! The seats even open up to provide storage. 🙌🏼

We feel honored today to have such incredible historic preservation heroes visit us at Charnley-Norwood House. Former Deputy State Historic Preservation Officers Ken P’Pool (Mississippi) and Jim Glass (Indiana) came to visit the home.

It was due to Ken’s efforts that solidified the state to restore this historic landmark and also establish the Mississippi Gulf Coast as a National Heritage Area.

Thank-you for visiting and we hope you come again soon!

We had a great turnout for our tour today! If you missed this one, feel free to call anytime to reserve a spot in the future. It’s a great thing to do for locals and visitors. If you have family coming to visit, definitely add this to the list! 😍

Contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling 228-234-7298.

The Charnley Norwood home played a significant role in architectural history. Watch this video to learn more.

https://youtu.be/RGvDnkkE79Y?feature=shared

The Restoration of the Charnley-Norwood House The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is proud to have played a role in saving the historic Charnley-Norwood House in Ocean Springs. Learn more ...

While the tour for this Saturday is fully booked, we remind everyone that tour reservations are available anytime on request. (based on staff & the houses availability). Schedule yours today by emailing [email protected] or calling 228-234-7298 and leaving a message.

Free tour this Saturday of the historic Charnley-Norwood House! Tour will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.

In 1897 Chicago based architect Louis H. Sullivan (known as the “Father of the Skyscraper”) invested in waterfront property and designed two neighboring homes as a coastal refuge from Chicago’s urban environment and harsh winters.

Sullivan designed these rural vacation retreats with a long, low orientation that blended into the natural surroundings of the coastal plain which was instrumental in inspiring the career trajectory of his young draftsman Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Charnley-Norwood House Meadow

Charnley-Norwood House
Bedroom Bay Windows

Charnley-Norwood
What role does it play in architectural History?

https://youtu.be/UO0qYagW5fo?feature=shared

Innovations of the Charnley-Norwood House
Episode 1 - Borrowed Light Window

Innovations of the Charnley-Norwood House Episode I: Borrowed Light Window Innovations of the Charnley-Norwood House is a video series that highlights innovative or unusual features of the house not usually covered as part of tours....

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

If you haven't had a chance to explore the historic Charnley-Norwood House yet in Ocean Springs, now is your chance! Normally, open by appointment only, the Charnley-Norwood House will have its doors open to the public on April 20th from 10am-2pm.

Our Historic Preservation Coordinator and expert Architectural Historian Jeff Rosenberg will be on site to educate and answer any questions.

This event marks the 100th anniversary of world-renowned architect Louis Sullivan's death. Sullivan was nicknamed the "father of the skyscraper" in honor of his work in Chicago.

Sullivan designed a summer home in Ocean Springs for himself and his friend James Charnley as an escape from their busy lives in Chicago. The home has since been restored after being severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

If you haven't had a chance to explore the historic Charnley-Norwood House yet in Ocean Springs, now is your chance! Normally, open by appointment only, the Charnley-Norwood House will have its doors open to the public on April 20th from 10am-2pm.

Our Historic Preservation Coordinator and expert Architectural Historian Jeff Rosenberg will be on site to educate and answer any questions.

This event marks the 100th anniversary of world-renowned architect Louis Sullivan's death. Sullivan was nicknamed the "father of the skyscraper" in honor of his work in Chicago.

Sullivan designed a summer home for himself and his friend James Charnley as an escape from their busy lives in Chicago in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The home has since been restored after being severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

If you haven't had a chance to explore the historic Charnley-Norwood House yet in Ocean Springs, now is your chance! Normally, open by appointment only, the Charnley-Norwood House will have its doors open to the public on April 20th from 10am-2pm.

Our Historic Preservation Coordinator and expert Architectural Historian Jeff Rosenberg will be on site to educate and answer any questions.

This event marks the 100th anniversary of world-renowned architect Louis Sullivan's death. Sullivan was nicknamed the "father of the skyscraper" in honor of his work in Chicago.

Sullivan designed a summer home in Ocean Springs for himself and his friend James Charnley as an escape from their busy lives in Chicago. The home has since been restored after being severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina.