The Coonley Estate

One of the grandest of Wright’s residential projects, the estate he and his associates designed for Avery & Queene Ferry Coonley grew to encompass seven buildings. Coonley was a successful industrialist, and his wife, a member of the family that founded the Ferry Seed company, was an advocate for progressive education. Mrs. Coonley’s educational pursuits led to the addition of buildings on the grounds. The success of her school eventually exceeded the space available on their extensive property in Riverside and led to the construction of associated school buildings in Brookfield and Hollywood.

Alterations to the house have been made through the years, by Wright and others. Threatened with demolition in 1952 by an architect-developer who planned to bulldoze the buildings and erect ranch houses, the property was instead purchased by Jim and Carolyn Howlett and split among five owners, the main house being divided between the main wing and the bedroom wing to become two residences. A heater for the swimming pool exploded on 11 June 1978, setting a fire that destroyed the living room of the main house; it has been restored.

In 2000, the main wing of the house was purchased and subsequently restored with some alterations by Dean and Ella Mae Eastman. The Eastmans also purchased the Coach House in 2005, granting a life estate to Carolyn Howlett, who at age 91 still lived there.