Westcott House
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- For the English Theological college affiliated with the University of Cambridge, see Westcott House, Cambridge
The Westcott House is a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Prairie Style house in Springfield, Ohio. The house was built in 1908 for Mr. Burton J. Westcott and his wife Orpha. The Westcott property is the only Prairie Style house designed by Wright in the state of Ohio. The grounds include the main house, and a carriage house connected by a pergola.
In 1903, as part of a merger, Burton J. Westcott came to Springfield, Ohio as Treasurer of The American Seeding Machine Company. He would hold the position for 21 years.
In 1916, Burton brought the Westcott Motor Car Company to Springfield, Ohio from Richmond, Indiana. He was president of the company until 1925. Wright designed a detached garage which included a design for a large turntable, similar to at a railroad yard, because the cars at that time did not have a reverse gear, a car driven into a garage had to be turned around manually. The garage also included 2 horse stables and was connected to the main house by a pergola.
Orpha L. Westcott was considered one of Springfield, Ohio's most prominent and progressive women, and is credited with suggesting the selection of Frank Lloyd Wright as the architect for their new home. The Westcott's had 2 children, John and Jean. Orpha died in 1923 following a minor sinus surgery in Philadelphia.
Following the death of Burton in 1926 the Westcott House was sold to Roscoe Pierce and he lived in the house until 1941. Eva Linton bought the house in 1944 and sub-divided it into 5 apartments. Over the next 37 years the house fell into a state of decline. Dorothy Snyder inherited the property in 1981 and maintained it until 1988 when she sold it to her son Ken and wife Sherri Snyder. In 1991 Ken died suddenly in a car accident. Sherri sold the house in 2000 to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, and as part of the purchase arrangement the house was subsequently sold on May 11, 2001 to the newly formed non-profit The Westcott House Foundation.
The nearly 5 year, $5.8 million, restoration of the Westcott House was completed in 2005, and was governed by goals and objectives set forth by The Westcott House Foundation and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. The foundation engaged Chambers, Murphy & Burge Restoration Architects of Akron, Ohio to assess the condition of the house and property and to lead the restoration project. The Westcott House opened to the public in October 15, 2005.
