GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WZZM) - A 100-year old Grand Rapids home is drawing architecture lovers from around the world. After WZZM 13 took a personal tour of the Meyer May House on Madison Ave., we couldn't wait to bring you the story of the home, which is one of 500 works completed by famed designer, Frank Lloyd Wright.
Wright was one of the most famous American architects in the 20th century. He designed the Meyer May House in 1908, an it was his first major commission in Michigan.
"Wright's reputation isn't limited to the Midwest, where his practice began. But he clearly has an international reputation and legacy. And so we do get visitors from around the world," said Don Dekker, a Meyer May House tour guide.
The Meyer May House also attracts tourists from across Michigan.
"I found out about it a few years ago actually working with a client, who had written a children's mystery book about Frank Lloyd Wright homes," said Michele Pernia, a Farmington Hills, Mich., resident who traveled to Grand Rapids to tour the home.
"I mean, this home is very aesthetically pleasing. Everything from the floral designs on the walls to just the hand-crafted furniture," said Ben Pernia, a Farmington Hills resident, who accompanied his mother for the tour.
Steelcase purchased this property in 1985. Two years later, the office furniture maker completed the restoration process.
"On the feedback of visitors, this is the most accurate restoration and preservation of a Frank Lloyd Wright home available to the public today," said Dekker.
"Our tour guide, Al, was also mentioning a lot about the horizontality architecture of the house, which is definitely exhibited through the entire structure," said Ben Pernia.
"Like a lot of his cantilevered designs and glass corners in the building, you know, which he actually was able to really complete fully in some of his later pieces of work."
The home was built in 1909 for Meyer May, a local clothing merchant.
"It was our goal here to replicate, as closely as possible and restore as closely as possible, the home to the way it was when the family experienced it in the time frame between 1909 and 1917," said Dekker.
"It's a free tour. It's a fabulous tour. Why not?," said Michele Pernia with a big smile.
Guests who visit the Meyer May House say it's a must-see attraction for anyone who appreciates architectural beauty.
For more information on the Meyer May House free tours, visit their web site at http://meyermayhouse.steelcase.com/house
David Solano