For the first time in more than 40 years, we’re about to lose a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building. The beautiful Lockridge Medical Clinic building in Whitefish, Montana was designed by Wright in 1958 and is one of his last designs before his death in 1958. The building was created as a medical clinic that was comfortable enough to feel like a home, complete with Wright’s iconic touches. Now, the owner wants to tear it down to make way for a three-story mixed-use development, unless someone pays $1.7 million in cash by the 10th to preserve it.
Demolition preparations began on-site earlier this week. “This comes as a great shock to us,” said Barbara Gordon, executive director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. “Fruitful discussions were still taking place to bring about a successful resolution to this case, which the Conservancy and our local partners have been working on for more than a year.”
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The Conservancy has plans to preserve the site, with demolition not slated until the end of 2018, giving the organization time to raise funds to save the building. The news that demolition was beginning early felt like a “gut punch” to those working to save the endangered building, which housed a law office until recently.
At just 25 miles from Glacier National Park, the building is perfectly poised for tourism, but the Conservancy fears that unless a buyer saves the day at the last minute, the building will be lost.
+ Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy
Images via Wikimedia and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy
