Designed by the American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright
SOLD - $1.7M (including furnishings)
The collection now belongs to the home’s new owners, a pair of Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiasts who are planning to continue Wright’s legacy by maintaining the home’s period details. “We are delighted to have facilitated the sale of the Frederick C. Bogk House, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpieces,” said LeGrand. “The new owners understand that this home is a work of art and a true part of American history, and they are looking forward to stewarding it through its next phase.” —Melissa LeGrand Congratulations to our Sellers, and welcome home to the new Stewards.
SOLD | BUILT IN 1917
"When Christie's approached me with the opportunity to present the potential sale of Frank Lloyd Wright's only townhouse in Wisconsin, my very first call was to Melissa LeGrand. Having taken the helm of the Christie’s International Real Estate network just two years prior, I was determined to show the family steward of this remarkable home that a collaboration between the auction house and our real estate division would yield the best possible outcome.Together, we embarked on an extraordinary journey, not only to sell the home but also to curate its design. The end result was a historic sale that not only set a new record for the property but also for its furnishings. This accomplishment stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication, profound expertise, and boundless creativity that Melissa LeGrand the entire team including her Creative Director Ash-Dee Stifter. This achievement serves as a shining example of what can be realized when exceptional minds converge, driven by a shared purpose and vision. It is with great anticipation that I look forward to future opportunities to continue making history in the realms of real estate and design with @properties elleven | Christie’s International Real Estate."
— Chris Lim
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bogk House of 1917 synthesizes his early Prairie Period with progressive vision that channels Japanese and Viennese architecture, setting the stage for the next phase in his career in California and the American Southwest. With horizontal brickwork and textured cast concrete lintels within a formal massing of geometric volumes, The Frederick C. Bogk House is in direct dialog with the Viennese Secessionists. An abstracted sculptural frieze under the eave central façade is pure art.
An elegantly detailed residence that accommodates contemporary living in a comfortable and discreet setting. Designed and built concurrent with Wright’s Japanese masterwork, The Imperial Hotel in Toyko, the Bogk House is among Wright’s best. The sophisticated balance of horizontal and vertical lines further reflect the strong Japanese influence, and the first step in Wright’s interest in ancient Mayan architecture.
The Greatest American Architect of all Time
Recognized by the American Institute of Architects as the greatest American architect of all time, Frank Lloyd Wright created some of the world’s most innovative spaces. He designed more than 1,100 architectural works, 532 of which were realized, and 380 of which remain standing today. Eight of his buildings have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites, including New York’s Guggenheim Museum and his showcase house, Fallingwater, in western Pennsylvania.
The home is located in the North Point neighborhood, one of Milwaukee’s finest and architecturally interesting neighborhoods. Sited on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, the neighborhood was always considered to be an exclusive residential enclave and remains so today, undisturbed by the commercialization and industrialization that have plagued other neighborhoods of similar vintage.
Margaret Elsner, Isamu Masui, Barbara Elsner, Rak Endo and Norico Chuzenji gather outside The Bogk House, a stop on the Wright Friendship Association tour, summer 1991.
Photo—Barbara Elsner
Mrs Bogk with some family members
Photo—Barbara Elsner (Photo was sent to her by the Bogk’s daughter in the 1970s)
This photo is one several drawings/ renderings left in the home by the previous owners. Wright gave the Bogks the drawings, which was an unusual practice at the time.
Photo—Barbara Elsner
International Senior Specialist,
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A Frank Lloyd Wright Home in Milwaukee Lists for the First Time in Almost 70 Years.
On The Market
A $1.5 Million Frank Lloyd Wright Home Lists for the First Time in 70 Years
Designed by the famed architect, the house is hitting the market for $1.5 million.
The Frederick C. Bogk House, the Only Single-Family Residence Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Milwaukee, Wis. is on the Market For Only the Second Time in 107 Years
Wright On The Market
BOGK HOUSE
Location: Milwaukee, WI
A 107-year-old Frank Lloyd Wright house is for sale on Milwaukee's east side.
A new monograph on the Bogk House situates this beautiful house in the turbulent teens and gives fresh insight into the evolution of Wright’s design process in the least understood decade of his career. No house by Wright embodies the mysterious anomalies of the Bogk House. It reflects a fundamental shift in Wright’s design process that radically broke with the Prairie Period and foreshadowed developments in the following three decades of this work.
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The definitive history of the Bogk House is currently being written by Wright experts, Anthony Alofsin and Richard Cleary.
Anthony Alofsin, Frank Lloyd Wright—The Lost Years, 1910-1922: A Study of Influence, 1994, Chicago, pp. 221, 249-253, 286, 290.
