125 Jewett Pkwy

The Darwin Martin House is widely considered Frank Lloyd Wright's most important early residential commission and one of the finest examples of Prairie Style architecture in existence. Commissioned by Darwin D. Martin, a successful executive at the Larkin Soap Company, the complex was designed between 1903 and 1905 and represents a turning point in Wright's career and in American residential architecture.

The property is not a single building but an interconnected complex of six structures: the main house, a pergola, a conservatory, a carriage house and stable, a gardener's cottage, and the smaller Barton House built for Martin's sister and brother-in-law. Together, these buildings demonstrate Wright's concept of "organic architecture" — the idea that a building should grow naturally from its environment and serve the needs of those who inhabit it.

The main house features Wright's signature horizontal emphasis, with low-pitched rooflines, wide overhanging eaves, and bands of art glass windows that blur the boundary between interior and exterior. The famous "Tree of Life" art glass windows, with their intricate geometric patterns derived from the sumac plant, are considered masterworks of decorative glass design.

After decades of neglect — including the demolition of the pergola, conservatory, and carriage house in the 1960s — a major restoration effort began in 2002. The Martin House Restoration Corporation undertook one of the most ambitious historic preservation projects in American history, meticulously reconstructing lost structures based on Wright's original drawings. Today the complex is fully restored and operates as a museum and cultural center, welcoming visitors from around the world.