About Ulysses G. Orendorff House
Historic Architecture, Architecture, Interesting Places, Other Buildings And Structures
The Ulysses G. Orendorff House is a historic house located at 345 West Elm Street in Canton, Illinois. The house was built in 1902 for Ulysses G. Orendorff, the son of Parlin & Orendorff co-founder W. J. Orendorff; the company, the most successful in Canton, manufactured farming equipment and was later sold to International Harvester. Architect Robert C. Spencer of Chicago designed the house; Spencer was a friend of Frank Lloyd Wright and an early figure in the Prairie School, and the house represents Spencer's shift toward the Prairie School aesthetic from his earlier Tudor style works. Two large gables on the front of the house are decorated with a wooden grid with rows of windows and geometric patterns; while the design resembles half-timbering on its face, it embodies the horizontal emphasis that became a key feature of the Prairie School. The interior of the house is characteristic of the Prairie School, with natural materials and modern decorative elements.
