Restoration Project

Here the glass panel from one of the art glass windows has separated from the metal came. All 174 art glass panels in the Robie House require conservation. Some are missing areas of metal came and are in danger of falling apart in situ. Others are bowing at an alarming rate. Many require reputtying with insulating putty. All need a thorough cleaning. Preservation Trust staff completed a detailed survey of the condition of each window, and created a triage list of priorities for conservation.

Staff members consulted with top art glass conservators to develop a methodology for conservation and documentation of the work performed on each panel. One aspect the Robie Art Glass Conservation Methodology specifies is glass replacement: plate glass which exhibits significant cracks, breaks or chips should be replaced in kind, while similarly affected colored glass should always be edge-glued. Here the craftsman is cutting new glass to replace a cracked piece.

When the conserved glass returns from the restoration studio, it is reinstalled into its original frame and location. The frames and window sashes are stabilized or conserved as needed.

Early on in the restoration, the building needed to be stabilized. Termite damage was more extensive than expected, as in this wood joist from the playroom. One wall was so thoroughly damaged by termites that it had to be removed and rebuilt.

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Removal of the non-original interior plaster revealed decayed wood.

The Robie House was originally designed as a home, but is now being adapted for assembly occupancy. For instance, a non-original steel support beam in the first floor entryway had to be replaced with one that will prevent deflection of the plaster ceiling and provide structural stability for the increased load of public access.

Restoration of the Robie House dining room has undergone significant advancements as the three major reproduction cabinetry pieces, the buffet, screen wall and built-in shelving, were restored in their original locations. As a precursor to reinstalling the dining room built-ins, the Robie House restoration team extended the piers at both sides of the west wall buffet and built the missing piers along the north wall. Wright incorporated built-ins so that these units become integral to the overall environment and ambiance of the home, instead of merely pieces of furniture. Not visible in the photographs above and below, is the newly completed reproduction shelving along the south side of the main entry stair.

The Robie House's built-in flower boxes or planters help achieve a synthesis between the building and nature. The original watering system stopped working soon after construction was completed, and the planters had suffered damage over time. New copper liners were installed, and while the original pipes remain in place, new water supply pipes with freeze protection were added. This feature will allow for the installation of a drip irrigation system in the future.

An inadequate foundation had damaged the garden wall running along the property's south border, causing it to lean to one side.

It was dismantled brick by brick and reinstalled on a new foundation. Here the limestone cap is being removed.

Just how deluxe Mr. Robie's three-car garage was in its day came to light when the non-original floor was removed to install new heating and water pipes. Sunk into the ground, below floor level, was a small cavity with thick concrete walls - the original mechanic's pit that Robie had requested Wright to include in his design for the garage. The placement of the new pipes was altered to allow the pit to remain intact.

Although the Robie House Bookshop is currently housed in the garage, restoration goals include historic interpretation of the garage space. This central set of garage doors was reconstructed based on historic photographs. Later, staff at the University of Chicago discovered a fragment of an original garage door in the attic of a university building. Two more sets of reproduction doors were created based on detailed measurements of the original.

All three sets of garage doors are now fully operational. With time and funding, the center doors will be modified to match the originals. The garage art glass windows were in fragmentary condition when restoration began, and were conserved for installation. They continue the unified line of art glass on the south façade of the house.

After having been absent for at least five decades, a set of reproduction gates was installed in May 2008, filling a void in the southern wall of the Robie House garage courtyard. In order to reproduce the gates, the Robie House architectural staff, along with the Preservation Trust Restoration Committee, studied Wright's historical drawings and photographs of the house taken by the families who occupied it throughout history. The intricate geometric design of the gates echoes the artglass windows, and its details were difficult to discern in many photographs. As shadow lines in historical photographs revealed, the different pieces of the gates were not of uniform thickness, and as such, each part had to be hand-welded. In addition, during installation, the two sides of the gates actually had to be clamped to each other to ensure that the design properly aligned before each door was then welded to steel posts on its respective side of the opening. Despite the difficulties posed by recreating Wright's design, the new gates only differ from the originals in regards to how they are hung. The steel was hand-welded as it would have been in the past; however, modern torches were used. The gates can be thought of as serving a similar function to the artglass windows; they create a fluid space between the interior and the exterior, all the while conserving a sense of privacy.

Restoration of the RobieHouse guest bedroom and its bathroom are partially funded by a Partners in Preservation grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express.

Work included conservation of the original art-glass windows, window sashes and hardware, doors and cabinetry. The walls, ceiling and floors have been restored to their original finishes and historic colors, and missing lighting elements will be fabricated while the originals are conserved. All mechanical systems will be updated to contemporary museum standards.

Period bathroom fixtures will be installed where missing and plumbing will be updated.

Much of the water damage suffered by the Robie House was due to copper gutter linings that were not angled to drain properly. New copper liners were installed on the upper sections of all the gutters. As additional precaution against leaks, ice and water shield was installed under the new liners and along the top edge.

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The original copper cornices of the gutters were conserved by sculpture conservators specializing in the conservation of metal outdoor sculptures. Layers of corrosion were removed with stiff rotating brushes.

A protective patina restored the look to the original brown color. On the left is the gutter cornice before conservation, and after conservation on the right.

The large Robie House kitchen was the center of the servants’ domain. The Robies employed three live-in domestic helpers: the children’s nurse and two housemaids, one of whom, Hilda, also worked as the cook.

In arranging the kitchen, Wright had his client’s needs foremost in mind. He flouted textbook rules for placing the sink close to the pantry and far from the stove, positioning sink and stove near one another against the north wall, as far as possible from the dining room so that the bustle of the kitchen would not disturb the family during meals.

The existing cabinetry and hardware are being conserved. Additionally, twenty linear feet of missing cabinets and hardware are being custom fabricated and installed. Wood trim and glazed tiles are being restored to their original appearance. After plaster repairs, the walls were painted in historically accurate colors. The floor was repaired where damaged and its original finish was hand stripped in preparation for refinishing.

In the kitchen, plaster has been repaired and painting is completed, while the existing trim has been stained and varnished. The kitchen cabinets on the west wall have been restored to the original configuration and the missing cabinetry along the south wall has been reproduced and installed along with the kitchen island. The original island maintained its presence in the home for nearly fifty years, and was most likely removed by the Chicago Theological Seminary in the mid-1900s in an effort to make the kitchen more suitable for use as a public kitchen.

The island cabinetry is constructed of oak while the top is comprised of ash in butcher-block style. Wright specifically instructed ash be used as the island countertop, most likely as ash is a denser wood than oak, and the specie’s tighter grain provides a hard, tough surface appropriate to where food is prepared.

The evidence used to recreate the cabinetry, including the island, consisted of the existing west wall cabinetry, marks found in the original wood floor boards, a 1916 photograph of the island, the original Robie House drawings and original specifications for the construction.

Over the decades, soot, dirt and pollutants had accumulated on the brick surfaces. The first step was to clean the masonry by applying a special poultice and allowing it to cure before washing it off. Next, masons ground out the old mortar between the bricks, using chisels and special saws.

Many bricks were damaged due to non-original mortar applied over the course of the building's history. Moisture infiltrating clay bricks freezes and expands during freeze/thaw weather cycles, slightly altering the shape and size of the bricks. A brick can handle this stress as long as it does not meet with resistance by adjacent materials. When the bricks expanded against the non-original hard cement mortar, they met resistance, which made them crack or break. Bricks that were too severely damaged to be repaired were cut out of the wall so that they could be replaced with originals that had been stock piled on site.

All masonry surfaces were repointed with a lime putty mortar, which replicates the composition, color and texture of the original mortar. Unlike hard cement mortar, lime mortar is the perfect complement to clay brick because it is soft enough to cushion the brick's stress. It was applied as Wright had specified: putty-colored, concave horizontal joints not only to accentuate the building's horizontal lines, but also to prevent rain water from pooling between the bricks; and brick-colored, flush vertical joints.

Recently installed in the master bath are the wall to floor tiles, low-tank toilet, sink, tub and shower-surround.

The Robie House restoration team uncovered some interesting details in the master bathroom. When the non-original plaster walls were removed it exposed coved mud at the joint between the floor and walls. The cove is a curved tile that connects the floor tiles to the wall tiles. This detail is usually present when tiles are installed up walls and is consistent with the 0.75” x 0.75” cream ceramic tile found in the other third floor bathroom and the guest bathroom.

The Master Bedroom underwent conservation of the original art-glass windows, window sashes and hardware, doors and cabinetry. The walls, ceiling and floors have been restored to their original finishes and historic colors, and missing lighting elements will be fabricated while the originals are conserved.

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Restoration in the master bedroom led to the original design and layout of the dressing room. Located in the southwest corner of the master bedroom, the dressing room originally enclosed a closet with a built-in cabinet. Dust line markings and remnants of wood confirm that the cabinet had drawers. Removal of the non-original wood paneling from the closet walls revealed markings that indicate the exact size of the missing cabinet. The restoration team also uncovered the junction box for the light fixture and discovered the original wall color–a multi-shaded golden brown. The cabinet and its drawer unit will be restored to their original configurations.

Installation of new mechanical systems, including state-of-the-art temperature and humidity controls ensure a museum-quality interior environment. Interlocking aspirating fire detection and dry sprinkler systems protect the building. All internal electrical wiring was updated and new water service introduced to bring the building into compliance with today's codes for public use. The new piping was concealed beneath floors, within walls, ceiling spaces and existing closets.

Chicago's winters had taken their toll on the sweeping porches. In the past, new layers of concrete were poured over previous layers to cover up the damage. Not only had large new cracks appeared, but the west porch floor was 5" higher than it had originally been. Note the shortened height of the lowest riser on the steps, due to the raised floor.

The west porch was rebuilt with reinforced concrete to add structural support. Beneath the surface, a flexible tubing snowmelt system prevents the build-up of ice and snow dams. Other porches received new topping slabs with snowmelt systems. The cured concrete matches the color and texture of the original 1910 porches.

Inspection of the roof revealed unexpected levels of decay. 30% of the roof decking and 5% of the rafters required replacement or reinforcement. Epoxy treatment was utilized wherever possible to allow for a larger percentage of the original roof to remain intact. Insulation and an ice and water shield were installed to make the repaired roof watertight.

Clay tile reproductions were made based on a small number of original tiles stored in the wine cellar when the original roof was replaced in the 1960s. The custom-made "hip" and "ridge" tiles fit tightly to the planes of the roof deck as they would have originally, bringing the roofline to its 1910 appearance.

The plaster soffits had deteriorated because water leaking through the roof rusted the metal lathe, making the plaster fail, creating cracks and holes, and even allowing icicles to form right through the plaster during Chicago's harsh winters.

Robie House is famous for its gravity-defying cantilevers or overhangs. They got a new lease on life as new lathe was installed in preparation for plastering.

The soffits (undersides of the cantilevers) were replastered with a texture that recreates the original.

The soffits were painted their original golden ochre color, which highlights the colored glass in the windows and contrasts with the dark brown window sashes. With the freshly conserved gutters and repointed masonry, the horizontal lines of the building show dramatically sharp and crisp.

The plaster soffits had deteriorated because water leaking through the roof rusted the metal lathe, making the plaster fail, creating cracks and holes, and even allowing icicles to form right through the plaster during Chicago's harsh winters.

Robie House is famous for its gravity-defying cantilevers or overhangs. They got a new lease on life as new lathe was installed in preparation for plastering.

The soffits (undersides of the cantilevers) were replastered with a texture that recreates the original.

The soffits were painted their original golden ochre color, which highlights the colored glass in the windows and contrasts with the dark brown window sashes. With the freshly conserved gutters and repointed masonry, the horizontal lines of the building show dramatically sharp and crisp.

Work in the third floor bath includes wall to floor tile, installation of toilet, sink and tub period pieces. The art glass is yet to be installed.

The original eight-foot-high wall surrounding the garage was lowered at some point between 1925 and the 1950s. The existing wall was dismantled, original bricks and limestone set aside, and a new foundation poured. Both original and reproduction bricks were used to rebuild the wall to its 1910 height. In order to present the most accurate façade possible, original bricks were used on the side of the wall facing the street, and reproduction bricks were placed on the side facing the garage courtyard.

To recreate the historically accurate wall, additional bricks that would match the originals were needed. Months of research, comparing of brick samples and test firings led to a brick manufacturer in Ohio that could match the distinctive color and texture of the original iron-spotted, coal-fired bricks. The reproduction bricks were cut in half lengthwise to achieve the correct height. The opening seen in the wall awaits reproduction steel gates.