The Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center is a posthumous addition to

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

's Child of the Sun collection at

Florida Southern College Florida Southern College (Florida Southern, Southern or FSC) is a private college in Lakeland, Florida. In 2019, the student population at FSC consisted of 3,073 students along with 130 full-time faculty members. The college offers 50 undergradu ...

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal ci ...

. Wright oversaw the construction of twelve buildings on Florida Southern's campus between 1938 and 1958. He also designed a

Usonian house Usonia () is a word that was used by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright to refer to the United States in general (in preference to ''America''), and more specifically to his vision for the landscape of the country, including the planning of ...

in 1939 meant to be used for faculty housing. Wright produced plans for 14 of the homes to be built on the college campus, but the plan was never carried through. In 2013, the College completed construction of the design as the featured structure in the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center. The 1,700 sq. ft. Usonian house features textile-block construction and colored glass inserts in perforated concrete blocks, both signature elements of Wright’s building designs at Florida Southern, as well as furnishings designed by Wright. The two-bedroom house was similar in design to

Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House, commonly referred to as Jacobs I, is a single family home located at 441 Toepfer Avenue in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Designed by noted American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, it was constructed i ...

, the first of Wright’s Usonian houses. The Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center offers a variety of self-guided, docent-led, and group tours of the Wright campus. The Center provides a home for the permanent display of photographs, furniture, and drawings depicting Wright’s relationship with the College. A documentary film about the Wright’s work at Florida Southern is also available for visitors to view while touring the Usonian house. The Center also acts as a home for visiting exhibits on loan from various other Wright sites. The Child of the Sun collection is the largest single-site collection of Wright’s work in the world and a National Historic Landmark (2012).

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Lessons to be learned from Frank Lloyd Wright at the Usonian House in Lakeland

17 U.S. college campuses with beautiful architecture
{{coord, 28.033260, -81.949855, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-FL, display=title Florida Southern College Buildings and structures in Lakeland, Florida Tourist attractions in Polk County, Florida Frank Lloyd Wright buildings