Exhibition Catalog - Lawrence Technological University

13
to Wright in September 1940, suggesting a mark on
one of the stones in the form of an abstracted “G”
and “A” superimposed – much like Wright’s official
signature mark, as Affleck pointed out. 35 The final
choice of brick over stone rendered this suggestion
moot, but in the house there are small windows in the
bathrooms and in the clerestory at the north end of
the living room containing a design that some see as
the abstracted initials but in a different form. Gregor
began using stationery with this pattern as early as
November 1941. It may be that Wright liked Gregor’s
idea of a personal mark and found a way to incorporate
it despite the decision not to use stone walls
in the house.
The walls were not the only surfaces to undergo revisions
during the design phase. It appears that the
living room floor was originally to be wooden, as revealed
by a letter from Harold Turner to Wright in early
1941 which claims, “You suggested to the Afflecks
last fall to change the wood flooring in the front part
of the building to concrete slab flooring.” 36 This implies
that early in the design process the house was
going to vary from the typical Usonian by eliminating
the concrete slab – with its radiant heating system
– in the living room. Whether the Afflecks or Wright
proposed the wooden floor is unknown. Gregor responded
to Turner’s suggestion with his usual deference
to Wright, stating that he would prefer a solid
concrete floor but would follow Wright’s desires. 37 In
the end a concrete slab was employed.
Construction
With the drawings for the proposed house completed,
the next step was to fi nd a competent contractor
who could deal with Wright’s unique designs.
Gregor fi rst suggested a longtime acquaintance
named C. Lloyd Rix. 38 He eventually settled on a
builder who had apparently had trouble executing
Wright’s proposal. Gregor was exasperated; he
later claimed, “The plans were ready in the summer
of 1940 but I fumbled around with a builder who
could not read the plans. Mrs. A. could read them
and her only experience was reading the plans for
a dress.” 39 Wright then recommended a trusted
hand. Harold Turner was a Danish-born cabinetmaker
with no building experience who had made
the transition into larger construction when Wright
hired him to oversee the erection of the Hanna
House (1936) in Palo Alto, California. He subsequently
became one of Wright’s favorites, working on fi ve
other Wright-designed houses by that time, including
the Goetsch-Winkler House (1939) in Okemos,
Michigan. Turner’s work was characterized by fi ne
craftsmanship, executed despite the unique and
exacting specifi cations of Wright’s designs. While
working on the Affl eck house, Turner also directed
the construction of Wright’s house for Carlton and
Margaret Wall (1941) in nearby Plymouth, Michigan.
Photograph by Gregor Affl eck