J.H. Amberg House

The J.H. Amberg House (1910) at 505 College Avenue SE in Grand Rapids is one of the projects Wright left unfinished when he departed for Europe with Mamah Cheney in 1909. The degree to which the design was developed by Wright before his departure is debated; the house was completed by Marion Mahony Griffin, Wright's brilliant chief draftsman, working under Hermann V. Von Holst. The result is a mature Prairie composition — horizontal banding, overhanging eaves, art-glass windows — that sits just a few blocks from the celebrated Meyer May House, making Grand Rapids one of the most rewarding Prairie destinations in Michigan. It is a private residence. Rick McNees documents the Amberg House on the Wright-Site archive.