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Building industry executives and descendants of Frank Lloyd Wright gathered Tuesday at the late architect's Taliesin estate and studios to discuss plans to fund restoration of the facility.
Time is taking its toll on Taliesin's six buildings, with everything from foundations to roofs to plumbing in dire need of repair, Taliesin Preservation Commission Director Juli Aulik said.
A windstorm last August lent a particular sense of urgency to the project. High winds toppled a 225-year-old oak onto Wright's personal studio, causing $1 million in damage.
All of the buildings are approaching 100 years old.
On Tuesday, representatives from Hanley-Wood Inc., a Washington D.C.-based publisher of home construction trade magazines, hosted nearly two dozen builders, suppliers, contractors and architects from around the nation on the Taliesin grounds.
The group spent nearly 10 hours touring and inspecting the estate and architectural studios, culminating in a two-hour cocktail party at the Taliesin residence attended by Wisconsin first lady Sue Ann Thompson. Later, she made a personal pitch for Taliesin funds after a catered dinner at the Wright-designed visitor center.
Warren Nesbitt and Frank Anton, publisher and president of Hanley- Wood, organized the gathering to kick off a $25 million fund-raising campaign to restore Taliesin to its original grandeur.
Hanley-Wood will partner with the Taliesin Preservation Commission and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to raise the money over the next 10 years. Anton told...