Dana–Thomas House

	Susan Lawrence Dana House
	Illinois State Historic Site
	Dana-Thomas House
	Interactive map showing the Dana-Thomas House’s location
Location	Springfield, Illinois
Coordinates	39°47′39.6″N 89°39′5″W / 39.794333°N 89.65139°W
Built	1902
Architect	Frank Lloyd Wright
NRHP reference No.	74000774
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 30, 1974
Designated NHL	January 7, 1976

The Dana–Thomas House (also known as the Susan Lawrence Dana House and Dana House) is a home in

Japanese prints.^[3]

Susan Lawrence Dana

Italianate

mansion located in the state capital's fashionable "Aristocracy Hill" neighborhood.

Dana House

Dana's search for an architect to match her aspirations ended when she was introduced in 1902 to Frank Lloyd Wright, the rising leader of the new Prairie School movement of "organic architecture" which stressed congruence between the interior of a building and its surroundings.

The Dana commission to plan the remodeling of the Lawrences' Italianate mansion was the largest Wright had received. Recognizing a kindred spirit in Mrs. Dana, he expanded the boundaries of his contract to design and build what was, in effect, an entirely new house showcasing his approach to the Prairie Style aesthetic.

The new home reflected the flamboyant personalities of the patron and the architect, particularly their love of Japanese prints and drawings. The structure was designed for both display and entertainment. An arched doorway admitted guests into a series of expanding spaces, transitioning from vestibule to the reception hall.

The concept of "expanding space" was repeated throughout the house,^[3] with windows placed to continually draw the attention of someone within toward an awareness of the outside. Wright designed approximately 450 art glass windows, skylights, door panels, sconces, and light fixtures for the house, most of which survive. Much of the art glass, and the mural by George Mann Niedecken surmounting the dining room interior, centered on a sumac motif.

A substantial west wing leads visitors through an interior

white oak

furniture in the house, created for Dana to display selections from her collection of Japanese prints,.

Dana lived in the home from 1904 until about 1928. Once a successful hostess and leader of Springfield's social scene, she became increasingly reclusive over time and turned her attention to spiritualism and the occult. Suffering from increasing financial constraints in her later years, she closed the main house around 1928 and moved to a small cottage on the grounds. As Dana struggled with age-related dementia in the 1940s, her home and its contents were sold.^[3]

Dana-Thomas House

Charles C. Thomas, a successful medical publisher, was the second owner and custodian of the home from 1944 to his death in 1969. A view of the building was featured on the title pages of some of his publications. His wife Nanette maintained in that role until her passing in 1975. The couple are credited with maintaining the house's original furnishings and design, and their estate with selling the home and its furnishings as a unit to the state of Illinois in 1981 for $1.0 million, significantly less than could have been earned had the household been broken up.^[3]

The home today

The home became a state historic site under the

Ryerson & Burnham Libraries at the Art Institute of Chicago

.

The house was featured in

A&E Network 1996 production, Guide to Historic Homes of America.^[4] In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, the Dana Thomas House was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places ^[5] by the American Institute of Architects

Illinois component (AIA Illinois).

As part of a program of budget cuts, the state of Illinois temporarily closed the Dana–Thomas House to the public from December 1, 2008, until April 23, 2009.[3]^[6] The Dana–Thomas House again closed for 11 months in 2011 for renovations to interior and exterior finish as well as mechanical and security systems.^[7]

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ "Dana, Susan Lawrence, House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 3, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
^
State Journal-Register
. December 1, 2008.
^ Bob Vila (1996). "Guide to Historic Homes of America". A&E Network.
^ Waldinger, Mike (January 30, 2018). "The proud history of architecture in Illinois". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
^ "Illinois to close historic sites, parks due to budget shortfall". USA Today/Associated Press. November 28, 2008.
^ Chris, Dettro (November 30, 2011). "Dana–Thomas House work mostly behind the scenes". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved December 4, 2011.

William Allin Storrer, The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion. University of Chicago Press, 2006,
ISBN 0-226-77621-2
, (S.072)

External links

Media related to Dana-Thomas House at Wikimedia Commons
Official website
State of Illinois site
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. IL-1188, "Susan Lawrence Dana House, 301 East Lawrence Avenue, Springfield, Sangamon County, IL", 15 measured drawings
Speaking of History Podcast about touring the Dana Thomas House in June 2007
Photos on Arcaid
Illinois Great Places - Dana Thomas House
Society of Architectural Historians ARCHIPEDIA entry on the Susan Lawrence Dana House
Computer animation of Dana-Thomas House by Razin Khan

[nris-1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.

[nhlsum-2] "Dana, Susan Lawrence, House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 3, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2008.

[Journal-Register-3] 
State Journal-Register
. December 1, 2008.

[Vila_Historic_America-4] Bob Vila (1996). "Guide to Historic Homes of America". A&E Network.

[5] Waldinger, Mike (January 30, 2018). "The proud history of architecture in Illinois". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved January 30, 2018.

[USA_Today-6] "Illinois to close historic sites, parks due to budget shortfall". USA Today/Associated Press. November 28, 2008.

[7] Chris, Dettro (November 30, 2011). "Dana–Thomas House work mostly behind the scenes". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved December 4, 2011.

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